Driving Change: Internship Tackles Human Trafficking
What started out as a three-month internship experience for Ella de Jong turned into a 10-month intensive where she not only put her business and public relations skills to work but helped further the cause of Truckers against Trafficking.
Truckers against Trafficking educates, equips, empowers, and mobilizes members of the transportation industry to combat human trafficking. During her internship, de Jong created social media content, put together email marketing campaigns, redesigned the organization’s quarterly magazine, created PowerPoint presentations for conferences, and much more.
“Truckers against Trafficking does important work of preparing truck drivers and law enforcement to recognize the signs that someone is being trafficked, so to get the opportunity to further that cause was rewarding,” she says.
"Ella could have been overwhelmed by the nature of her work, or she could have become calloused by it. She did neither. She leaned on her faith and showed her love for people."
De Jong initially was supposed to have the internship for three months, but the remote experience eventually extended to 10 months. Dr. Tom Prinsen, professor of business and communication, isn’t surprised that Truckers against Trafficking “recognized Ella for who she is and kept her for as long as they could.”
“Ella’s work is fantastic, and she will do whatever it takes to get the job done,” he says. “Not only that, she will do so in a manner that has everyone on the team feeling that their work is valued.”
The experience of working for a non-profit organization fighting against human trafficking was sobering; de Jong couldn’t believe how many human trafficking cases happen in Iowa and elsewhere in the United States. “When I heard about a human trafficking case in Idaho, where I’m from, that just made it hit home even more: this is happening to people that are essentially living next door.”
Through her internship, de Jong saw how her work fit into a bigger picture—one that brings a special level of value to her internship experience.
“Ella’s ability to navigate her emotions and faith is a testament to who she is as a person,” says Prinsen. “She could have been overwhelmed by the nature of her work, or she could have become calloused by it. Ella did neither. She leaned on her faith and showed her love for people.”
After graduating in May with a major in communication: public relations and business: marketing, de Jong hopes to continue working in public relations and marketing, perhaps in the non-profit sector.
“I have loved my time at Dordt. I have made some great friends, and I’ve appreciated learning from caring, understanding professors,” she says.
