Urban Alliance prepares students for careers and self-sufficiency through paid internships, training, and mentorship. The organization was founded in Washington D.C. in 1996 and has since expanded to other cities, employing over 1,100 youth and partnering with 100 businesses. The author interns at Urban Alliance, where she files documents, copies paperwork, tracks attendance, collects data, and answers phones. Her mentor, Jamie Brisco-Ricks, advises interns to make the most of their experiences. Through her internship, the author has learned skills like asking for help, speaking up, dressing professionally, and networking.

1. My Urban Alliance Journey
DaJanay Velez
Wendell Phillips Academy
Urban Alliance
205 W. Randolph Suite 410

2. Mission of Urban Alliance
Prepare students for a life of work and self-sufficiency through
paid internships, formal training, and mentorship.
Overview

3. Founded UA in Washington, DC in 1996 by
Andrew Plepler
Expanded to Baltimore, N. Virginia and Chicago
Has employed more than 1,100 youth and
partnered with more than 100 local businesses.
Overview
Overview (cont.)

4. Where I Work

5. As an intern, I:
File student folders
Copy and scan time sheets
Track student attendance
Collect data
Answer phones
What I Do

6. My Mentor.
Jamie Brisco-Ricks
Deputy Director
N. Michigan University, Sociology
Advice for interns: Make the best out
of your experience.
Interesting Fact: She has two birth
certificates and two SSN’s

7. My MentorImpact/Issues

8. I’ve learned:
To ask for help when I needed
Speak up
Be confident
Dress Professionally
Network
Excel
One Note
My personality has changed; I am more
comfortable with talking to people I’ve never met.
What I Learned

9. East-West University
Criminal Justice
United States Army MP
What’s Next?