Every summer, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center welcomes interns who are eager to learn, grow and make a difference. They arrive with classroom knowledge, curiosity and a desire to help. They leave with something much deeper: a firsthand understanding of what it means to walk alongside children and families as they heal.
This summer, Louisa Fowler, Cinthia Alaniz, Sahira Silva and Yaileen Ruiz De Lira brought different educational backgrounds and experiences to DCAC, but they shared a common goal: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families.
Louisa recently completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Denver and will begin her Master of Social Work this fall. Cinthia is a senior at Metropolitan State University of Denver studying Criminal Justice and Criminology with a minor in Psychology. Sahira is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Human Development and Family Relations at the University of Colorado Denver. Yaileen is also a student at MSU Denver, where she studies Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology.
While each came to DCAC through a different path, all four wanted the opportunity to move beyond the classroom, gain hands-on experience and better understand how professionals support children and families who have experienced trauma.
Learning to Meet Families Where They Are
One lesson surfaced again and again as the interns reflected on their experiences: there is no single way that children and families experience trauma—or healing.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that this work is so important and so valuable,” Louisa shared. “Even on the days when nothing seems to be going right and you keep running into barriers, you are still helping a family feel seen and heard.”
For Cinthia, the experience reinforced the importance of trauma-informed care.
“I’ve seen how every interaction matters and how providing support, listening without judgment, and connecting families with resources can make a meaningful difference,” she said. “Advocacy is so much more than providing services—it’s about helping families feel supported, heard, and empowered.”
Sahira learned that support can look very different depending on what a particular family needs—from connecting them with resources to simply creating a safe space where they can express what they are feeling without judgment.
Yaileen came away with a similar lesson.
“Every family has a different story, and you really have to meet people where they are,” she said. “I’ve also learned how important it is to listen and be understanding, even when you may not fully know what someone is going through.”
Seeing the Impact Up Close
For the interns, those lessons became especially powerful when they saw what compassionate support could mean for an individual child or family.
Louisa remembers the first time she was able to follow a client through the entire process—from intake and orientation to being assigned to a therapist. Hearing from case management clients who successfully connected with resources she provided was equally meaningful.
“I was so proud to have helped connect them to services which can be such a huge help,” she said.
For Sahira, there was one moment in particular that she won’t soon forget. While spending time with a group of children, one child told her, “I finally feel safe.”
The experience drove home just how important it is to create an environment where children feel comfortable, supported and protected—and how the collaboration of DCAC and its multidisciplinary partners helps make that possible.
Discovering the Power of a Team
While the interns learned about working directly with families, they also discovered just how many people are involved behind the scenes.
Yaileen said she was surprised to learn how many different ways DCAC supports families.
“Before my internship, I didn’t realize how much goes into helping a family beyond just providing therapy,” she said. “There are so many different resources and people involved in supporting a child and their caregiver.”
She was particularly struck by seeing how staff work together to ensure families have the support and resources they need.
“It made me realize how much of a difference having a supportive team can make.”
Cinthia had a similar realization, saying she hadn’t fully understood before her internship just how many professionals collaborate to provide comprehensive care to children and caregivers.
That teamwork also shaped the interns’ own experiences.
Louisa said she will carry the spirit of collaboration she experienced at DCAC into her future career.
“Working as part of a team made all of us more effective and better at our jobs, and I was learning from those around me constantly.”
And all four spoke about the role DCAC staff played in making them feel like valued members of that team.
Cinthia recalled that from her first day, staff trusted her with meaningful responsibilities and included her in conversations rather than treating her as “just an intern.”
Louisa credited her supervisors, Marlen and Andrea, with encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone while always providing support when she needed it.
Sahira said the mentorship she received helped her grow in confidence both personally and professionally.
And Yaileen said the staff created an environment where she always felt comfortable asking questions while also giving her opportunities to become more confident and independent.
From the Classroom to a Future Career
The interns leave the summer with practical skills—communication, case management, active listening, crisis support, documentation, resource navigation and collaboration—but also with greater clarity about where they want their careers to take them.
Louisa discovered a growing interest in nonprofit work and the opportunity to help people who might not otherwise have access to services.
Cinthia said the experience solidified her passion for victim advocacy and strengthened her commitment to building a career supporting others.
Sahira also found herself drawn toward victim advocacy after seeing how trauma-informed support can change a family’s experience navigating the criminal justice system.
For Yaileen, the internship has reinforced her interest in working with children and families while helping her better understand what she enjoys and wants to continue learning.
“I came into this experience wanting to learn, but I feel like I’m leaving with so much more confidence in myself and my future career,” she said. “I’ve learned things here that I don’t think I could have learned just from a classroom.”
And fortunately for DCAC, Yaileen isn’t quite leaving yet—she’ll continue her internship this fall.
Three Words
When asked to sum up their internships, the words the students chose speak volumes.
Cinthia described hers as “eye-opening, impactful and inspiring.”
Sahira chose “purposeful, rewarding and challenging.”
Yaileen called hers “meaningful, eye-opening and rewarding.”
Their advice to future interns was similarly consistent: come ready to learn, to challenge yourself and to be part of a team doing work that matters.
“You will learn so much, be part of the most amazing team, and do such important, life-changing work,” Louisa said.
As Louisa, Cinthia and Sahira continue on to the next steps in their education and careers—and Yaileen continues with DCAC this fall—we are grateful for the curiosity, compassion and commitment each has brought to our team.
Internships are designed to prepare students for what comes next. But at DCAC, our interns also make a difference while they’re here. They contribute to our work, support our staff and families, and remind us that the next generation of professionals serving children and families is already finding its purpose.
Thank you, Cinthia, Sahira, Louisa, and Yaileen, for choosing to spend this chapter of your journey with DCAC. We can’t wait to see where it takes you!
