Intern Voice: Vanessa

“Something I observed in the dorm that I was hesitant to address at first was the negativity surrounding body image. When the girls were getting ready in the morning, they would be poking at different parts of their bodies, asking, “Why can’t I change this?” My first response was to tell them, “You’re beautiful.” I quickly realized my words were being deflected... but I wanted them to see that their health is so much more than physical health. I would ask them, “What do you love about yourself? What do you like about your roommate?” We made daily goals to better our physical health, but I really strived to help them look internally, too. There were nights when we were rolling on the floor laughing while doing an ab workout. I realized it is the small things of daily life that we can speak into.”
​- Vanessa Harris, 3-month intern

After completing her internship in August, Vanessa returned to William Jessup University to complete her last semester of studies in Psychology. ​