Intern Impact Spotlight: Kenya

Meet Kenya! 

Last fall, Kenya began looking for internship opportunities that would allow her to work with young people. After hearing about CEDARS and their impact on the community, she decided to learn more – and quickly realized this was the perfect place for her internship. 

After Kenya was accepted into the internship program, she was thrilled to learn that she would be at CEDARS Emergency Shelter, the only emergency shelter for kids in southeast Nebraska. As an intern, she was a positive influence on the youth at CEDARS, spending her time getting to know them and helping in any way she could. From working on homework to lending a listening ear to helping them process their feelings, Kenya was always here for the kids. 

“Sometimes, I was just there to show them that not all the adults in the world are the same and that they, too, can grow from whatever they are dealing with into the person that they want to be,” said Kenya. “Over the time that I interned at CEDARS, I got to see so many youth grow and achieve goals they swore were impossible when they arrived.” 

In addition to working directly with the youth, Kenya also spent time with a case manager. She learned valuable skills through conducting assessments, attending team meetings, handling medication counts, preparing for case consults, and more. 

After Kenya’s internship ended, she accepted a position as a Relief Youth Specialist at CEDARS, where she continues to be here for kids today. 

Kenya shared with us her favorite part of interning and working at CEDARS: the people. “Whether it’s the staff or the youth, my day is always brighter knowing I’ll be spending it here,” she said. 

Family has always been the center of Kenya’s life for almost 11 years. She shared her journey with us: 

“I was in a very low spot in life when I found out I was pregnant with my son. I truly feel like he was placed in my life to tell me that there is still a purpose waiting for me,” said Kenya.  

Shortly before having her son, Kenya met her husband. What started out as a virtual friendship turned into a beautiful relationship, and they married in 2017.  They have built a strong foundation for their family and are looking to expand it with more kids of their own and soon kids in foster care, as well.  

“We truly believe that our destiny is to help young people become the best they can and to support them along the way,” Kenya shared.  

In her free time, Kenya loves to take part in a range of activities that include reading, building Legos with her son, baking and cooking, riding bikes, spending time outside with her family, crocheting, sewing, swimming, and going on road trips.  

A fun fact about Kenya is that she had her first “day” of school at just three days old! Her older sister took her to school for show and tell, despite telling her mom to “put her back because I want a boy!”