Telling It is the reason I am now an MSW student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, on the policy track, focused on youth advocacy in the criminal justice system...
...I have stayed connected to Telling It since my internship because the work matters to me. I would not be in this field without the course and the internship together. None of this works without staff who hold the relationships with youth, students, and community partners year after year. Young people notice who stays. Funding protects that consistency for them, and it means future U-M students will get the same chance I did."
- Kaylin Eighmey, Graduated 2025
Telling It has a unique way of making each and every person feel valued and cared for. Telling It staff are a special group of people that have a magic way of making everyone feel loved while pushing you to challenge your views and perspectives...
...When we started working with the community, it was amazing to see how this energy from the staff helped the youth open up and experience joy in a way that isn’t always encouraged. In a space where they were told to hold back parts of themselves, Telling It said to celebrate and love these parts to share their goodness with the world.
The use of joy and creativity to support healing from trauma is engrained in me and I will use this outlook throughout my life. As a camp director, I used several of the activities and principals of Telling It to provide an environment for all kids to play and be themselves. In my current job, I engage with the community keeping in mind their experiences and how these influence the way they participate in pool programs. I believe every student should take this course given the opportunity. I continue to volunteer for Telling It and have never been in a session where I didn’t learn something new. Telling It has made a substantial impact on my life and on those around me in the program and I hope that their outreach can grow to continuously make a difference in communities."
- Gabrielle Leiker, Graduated 2026
I entered college aspiring to become a physician, but Telling It helped me understand more deeply what that aspiration meant to me. As I applied to medical schools, I found myself returning to this experience time and again, sharing how profoundly it had shaped my understanding of healing and the kind of physician I hope to become...
...Telling It taught me that we may not always be able to change the circumstances someone faces, but we can help them develop the tools and sense of agency to navigate them. After graduation, I began working as a Medical Assistant in Psychiatric Emergency Services at Michigan Medicine, where I continue to witness young people struggling to process overwhelming emotions and navigate moments of crisis. These experiences reinforced the importance of trauma-informed spaces for healing and strengthened my commitment to Telling It, inspiring me to continue volunteering long after the course ended."
- Noora Aabed, Graduated 2025
My experience with Telling It has reinforced my commitment to a career centered on supporting children, youth, and families through trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based practice. It has expanded my understanding of expressive arts beyond a therapeutic intervention: creative expression can support relationship building, agency, emotional well-being, and create opportunities for young people to feel seen and heard, and will serve me well as I transition into my career in social work...
...Telling It is a unique field placement, as it offers opportunities for micro and macropractice work, consists of a small but dedicated and knowledgeable team, and applies unique interventions to a population that is often overlooked in service provision. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn with Telling It and to experience its commitment to positively impacting young people and communities. The skills, perspectives, and values I have developed through this experience will continue to shape my work as a social worker."
- Allison Supanich-Goldner, MSW Intern 2026
When thinking about all of the courses I have taken throughout the years at the University of Michigan, the hands-down most impactful course I have ever participated in was Community Empowerment through the Arts. More specifically, my Telling It internship at Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center...
...During this time I had the privilege working alongside influential leaders that deepened my understanding of the environment, mentally and physically, at-risk youth were put in. Playing games, participating in arts and crafts, and building genuine connections with the youth and my teachers was nothing short of incredible. Additionally, interning for Telling It has single-handedly inspired me to continue my education and pursue law school, with a desire to be a juvenile defense attorney. The experiences and stories I heard through the Telling It program has lit a fire underneath me to do everything I can to protect and support youth in the incarceration system, and I would have never had that realization without Telling It and my Community Empowerment through the Arts course."
- Kaylin Sam, 2026
My experiences in Telling It have spaced my perspectives on interacting with people in general, learning not to make assumptions about people, and learning to look past our assumptions that we all inevitably make...
...Being involved in Telling It has been the most rewarding endeavor of my academic career, and beyond the help it's given me professionally, I feel like being a part of this organization gave me a sense of purpose and a real idea of what I want to do with the rest of my life. I am forever grateful and recommend this course to anyone and everyone who could fit it into their schedules!"
- Sophie Raskin, 2026
Telling It intentionally fosters an environment where youth and staff can engage in respectful dialogue, explore differences in perspective, and learn from one another across diverse backgrounds...
...This begins during training each semester, where new undergraduate student interns participate in activities focused on positionality and intersectionality, which introduce the concepts of safe and brave spaces. Encouraging interns to reflect on how their identities, experiences, and assumptions shape the ways they engage with others."
- Brianna Evans, Social Worker Graduated 2025
