Hello! My name is Elizabeth Kistner, Liz for short. I’m from the small town of Newton, Illinois (Which is not near Chicago!). I graduated August, 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences, concentration in Family Services. As it became closer to graduation time, I began to realize that I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to further my education, but I couldn’t decide what in. I wanted to get some hands on experience, but being from a rural area that made it harder for me to do. What drew me to the CCSC was the pillar of community. I wanted the inner city experience of working with individuals, but I was afraid of doing it on my own. The thought of having a support system made the whole idea a lot less terrifying for me. The experience of living with people who are from completely different backgrounds, working in different placements, is unlike any other. We’ve become more than housemates, we’ve become a support system, friends, and resources for each other.
My placement in the CCSC is at Catholic Charities Victims Services as a Domestic Violence hotline/intake counselor. A day at my placement consists of taking hotline calls from DV victims, filling out counseling information forms with individuals, making referrals, meeting with clients about financial problems, and a host of other things. No two days are the same, which is great.
CCSC has given me the wonderful opportunity of connecting with individuals I wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise, and has given me the chance to learn more about myself and grow.