Meet Monique, Family Coach and former intern

Monique Harvey is a new Family Coach in our Calumet Center’s Family WORKS program, but her time with Metropolitan goes back further than that – she was previously an intern, but now that she’s graduated from college, she’s joined our team full time! Monique shares a bit about her experience in both capacities with Carrie Pullie, Program Director at Metropolitan Calumet:

Tell us about your internship last year, especially being in the middle of the pandemic.

The internship gave me a snippet of what the summer would look like. Graduation celebrations, summer youth employment, senior events, and so much more. Even though the pandemic was going on, that didn’t stop the supervisors or my co-workers, at the time, from achieving what they sat out to do.

What was your best experience from the internship?

The best experience was my first day. I started on the day of the graduation parade, so I was able to see right in that moment what Metropolitan was about. The energy in my new crew and the residents. I saw joy, gratitude and fun. Instantly, I wanted to be a part of this team, even if it was temporary.

What advice would you give to other interns?

Be yourself. I was able to join as a family coach because I depicted who I was. Helpful, knowledgeable, and skilled. Energy is also key because you may be sitting at a desk, but drive and energy will get you through.

After college you decided to interview for a Family Coach. How was this experience?

It was exciting. One part of me couldn’t sleep, and the other part of me couldn’t believe it. I thought they had forgotten about me. But during the interview process, they showed me they never forgot about me. I felt valued.

Now you are part of the MFS team. I am sure you are busy. Anything to share about this experience so far?

I’ve gotten a chance to start over but pick up where I left off at the same time. The office is still the office, and the crew is still the crew, minus a few. Now that I’m getting the full family coach experience, I’m just as excited as I was last year, if not more. Since I have more responsibilities than before, I’m using this new opportunity to balance, recognize my true calling, and identity. This could not get any better!

Thank you to the Altgeld team for choosing me! Especially Ms. Hanson and Ms. Pullie.