Meet the New Kateri Tekakwitha Fund Interns

We recently welcomed four new interns into the internship program. These women joined the program in July and will complete their year-long internships in June 2024.

Get to know these women and learn how they are taking advantage of these internships to put their skills into practice.

María Tziná Lacán

María studied accounting with a focus on computers. She is completing her internship in Visión Empresarial, a business that provides accounting, graphic design, digital publicity, and other services. Since starting in July, she has been learning how to assist clients, helping them to register vehicles and submit necessary forms.

María says that she loves helping others, which she is able to do in this role. She is grateful to all those supporting her in her internship, saying that she is excited about the opportunity “to grow and to acquire new skills and also to gain experiences to be able to get a job in the future.”

Dolores Chiyal Cosigua

Dolores graduated as a bilingual secretary in 2019 and began university studies in social work in 2020. She is completing an internship at Asociación Cumpliendo Sueños while continuing her studies.

Asociación Cumpliendo Sueños is a nonprofit organization focused on helping the community in Santiago Atitlán. The organization has a center for the elderly as well as programs to help children.

In her role as an intern, Dolores spends time working with the elderly, carrying out home visits. She also works with local artisans, supporting their efforts to sell their products. She’s enthusiastic about using this opportunity to move from theory into practice and develop professionally.

Melany Alessandra Reyes Pelicó

Melany studied science and letters with a focus in computer studies. She is completing an internship with Habitat for Humanity in Chimaltenango.

Through organizing files and working with vendors, Melany has helped to ensure the purchase of construction materials, supporting the organization’s work of building homes for those in need.

Although she has been there a short time, Melany has already been able to learn different aspects of the organization’s work and develop relationships with her coworkers.

Nicolasa Chiyal Cosigua

Nicolasa is studying social work while completing an internship at the Spark Foundation, an organization focused on improving education in Santiago Atitlán.

Nicolasa had already been volunteering with the organization, which facilitated her transition to being an intern. In this role, she works with students, including participating in home visits. She also spends time in the office, where she helps to maintain accurate records for each program participant.

Nicolasa expressed that she’s very excited to continue learning and that she hopes the internship will help her to have new experiences.

Your Support Makes a Difference!

These women join six others who are in the middle of their intern year. The program continues to grow and provide valuable work experience, with a number of past interns moving on to permanent employment with the organizations. Your support of this program helps these women move forward toward achieving their goals.