Meet Makaia, LCG’s Summer Intern

Hello everyone, I am LCG’s summer intern! My name is Makaia and I am a rising sophomore at Louisiana State University A&M. I am on the Pre-Law track studying political science with a concentration in law and legal systems, as well as a minor in Spanish. When I finish school, I hope to become a criminal defense attorney, so I can support those who have been wrongfully accused in civil rights and discrimination cases.  

Before working with LCG, I knew close to nothing about social impact. I could point out things in society that were socially impactful, and I knew that there were organizations catered towards bettering and equalizing our communities, but I didn’t know what went into establishing and upholding these organizations. 

The knowledge I’ve gained since my internship started in June is unquantifiable. In the beginning, I couldn’t conceptualize social change outside of policy, I couldn’t name any local community development programs, and I couldn’t define social justice consulting. The 10 weeks I’ve spent with LCG clarified all of this and more. Now, I know that social changes simultaneously occur in various sectors, and they likely wouldn’t happen at all without social impact organizations. I know that Chicago is filled with individuals who want better for their communities, and that social justice consultancies advise clients in various areas of the professional world, to help them establish support for marginalized groups and individuals. 

In addition to that, I have greatly improved my interpersonal communication skills (thank you, Crystal!), my punctuality has improved, and I am a pro email-writer. I am happy to have gained these skills and very proud to take them back to school with me. 

Social impact through consulting differs from social impact through policy, but the most important thing I’ve learned this summer is that on our own, we can’t fix anything. The challenges we face are bigger than you, me, and everyone else individually, but when we work together, we become bigger than our problems.