Where are they now

The Southern University Office of Career Services now offers students the opportunity to develop career building survival skills with its Cooperative Education and Internship Program.
Brooke Harris, a senior nursing major from Shreveport, currently works at the Louisiana Spirit’s Harmony Family Support and Outreach Services in Baton Rouge.
Harris’ main duty while at the outreach center is to provide friendship to hurricane victims.
The outreach workers travel to the FEMA trailer parks to offer crisis counseling sessions, and they also work with the hurricane victims to get them familiar in the cities of their temporary residence.
Harris said the only major adjustment that she had to make was trying not to show emotions.
“You must not get too attached to the victims,” Harris said.
At the center, the outreach workers work with victims that have mental health problems brought on by the hurricanes. The workers offer consultation to those who have lost family members, and those who still haven’t gained contact with missing family members.
Harris also assists victims that may be dealing with paranoia, schizophrenia, depression or anxiety, providing her with valuable work experience for her psychology minor.
Due to the hard work of the outreach workers, the outreach program will continue to offer assistance to hurricane victims until Feb 2007. Harris said that working as a team and providing comfort where it is needed is the greatest reward. Since the outreach center is a local opportunity, relocation stipends are not needed although a monthly stipend is offered.
According to Harris, the experience is a head start for a career.
“It is good to have the paperwork (grades), but an intern or co-op would really help,” she said.