Internship Testimonial #1
I had a fantastic experience as an intern with Justice in Mexico. I was interested in contributing to the organization because I wanted to do what I could to further studies of violence and crime in a place where they are often overlooked by the outside world. Justice in Mexico gave me exactly that opportunity by exposing me to the background research that goes behind many of the studies and reports that it publishes.
Behind every published report or research paper in the social sciences exists extensive statistical analysis. In the case of violence in Mexico, every statistic is an individual crime that has occurred. The macro-level research that Justice in Mexico presents to the public and to policymakers in the U.S. and Mexico could not be completed without extensively surveying Mexican news sources to document incidences of crime. As an intern, my job was to collect the background work necessary for meaningful statistical analysis, and I am very grateful to have had this experience for two reasons.
Firstly, researching cases of crime against police and military units in Mexico made the violence in Mexico much more clear in my mind. Instead of looking at numbers and charts of crime— which are no doubt important— I saw recent cases of violence in the news, analyzed their details, and often learned about the life of the victim and of the circumstances of the crime. Cases I explored included that of a police officer who died trying to protect innocent civilians, or that of a family of a mother, father, and three-month old son murdered in cold blood. Cases like these motivated me to continue my research and contribute to Justice in Mexico more than statistics ever could.
Secondly, because of my research, I have a better understanding of how individual cases contribute to larger samples from which statistical analysis is generated. Painstakingly collecting the details of many cases not only helped me realize how challenging it actually is to produce meaningful information, but also of the necessity to accurately record this information in order for published research to be as informative as possible. My experience at Justice in Mexico not only exposed me to the continued development of crime in Mexico, but also provided me with useful skills and perspective with which to contribute to other research projects in the future.
The staff at Justice in Mexico was very helpful and receptive throughout the duration of my internship. They made sure I had everything I needed to contribute, answered my questions in a timely manner, and guided me when I needed assistance with my research. Additionally, the orientation program at the beginning of the internship was very informative.
I could not have been happier or more satisfied with the opportunity to have contributed to Justice in Mexico this summer. I am grateful that I could help further its mission to bring peace to Mexico.
Internship Testimonial #2
I began working with Justice in Mexico in June of 2016, and since then I have learned much about research, organization, communication, and team work. Working with Justiciabarometro project brought me a greater awareness of Mexico’s judicial system and my own work ethic through a series of design and research projects combining important information and visual communication.
Working with Nancy in the office was extremely informative. Her explanations of the data and data sets helped me understand the complexities of the Mexican judicial system and how to condense the data into information that the public, media, and other professionals can easily use for other reports.
Designing the Justiciabarómetro report has been a long process, but has helped me better understand my fields of study: political science and visual art. The staff is close knit and always ready to help me accomplish my goals within the program. Designing an actual publication has been a challenge, especially while simultaneously teaching others in the office how to use complicated programs, but the results will be better than I originally expected.
The International Rule of Law Conference was a special experience. Meeting important and well educated political speakers was not only informative but also helpful for strengthening my communication skills in both english and spanish. Learning more about the American and Spanish judicial systems through speakers with primary experience was interesting and helped me gain a stronger perspective of governance with respect to the law and its execution.
Justice in Mexico has been my first internship experience within my field of study and has helped me to define my goals within political science and visual art. Everyone in the office welcomed me and answered any questions that I had about the organization as well as their own educational and work experiences. Through this internship, I have gained hard and soft skills in research, communication, data visualization, and conceptual analysis, all of which are skills necessary for me to pursue my passions.