Published:
Friday, September 27, 2013
The ACLU of Washington has many wonderful interns who assist with our work. We would like you to meet some of them.
When it was time for Irene DeMaris to choose an internship for her Masters of Divinity at Seattle University, she thought of some of the mail she had received from the ACLU. She is very interested in all reproductive and women’s rights and wants to further “social justice and speaking up for people.” And a friend had been telling her of the case of the West Memphis 3, a trio of men released from prison after serving 18 years for a disputed murder conviction.
So DeMaris contacted the ACLU, and she recently began as an intern with our Communications Department. The Master’s program that she is working on complements the Deacon track of The United Methodist Church, meaning that she will be in service and will be working to bridge the gap between the church and community. DeMaris feels that interning with the ACLU will give her valuable experience working in the community on issues she cares about. She is interested in individual rights and freedom, and wants her Divinity degree to have practical application in helping individuals
Growing up in Ridgefield in southwest Washington, DeMaris has always been interested in political issues and social justice, but only recently had an “ah-ha!” moment where she felt like she really had to get involved. She will be helping with trainings about the rights of pregnant and parenting students, at outreach events, and on other projects as they arise. She will also be taking a full course load; but in the free time that she has, DeMaris enjoys hot yoga, the E! Channel, and spending time with her dogs Bartlet and Leo.
