Rockwood Student Helps Justice-Involved Jobseekers Find Employment During PIE Summer Internship

Ava Jenne comes by her interest in criminal justice naturally: both of her parents majored in the field, and her father works in law enforcement.

“I really want to go into criminal psychology,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps, always wanted to go that route and the psychology route: getting to know people and their backgrounds really interests me.”

Through the Rockwood Partners in Education (PIE) Summer Internship program, the rising Lafayette High senior is getting the opportunity to view this world through a different lens while working with the Transformative Workforce Academy (TWA) at Saint Louis University.

The PIE Summer Internship program provides students with career exploration opportunities going into their senior year of high school, allowing them to gain practical, real-world experience in a field of interest by partnering with professionals.

The TWA connects justice-involved individuals with fair-chance employers around the state. Justice-involved individuals are people who have had contact with the criminal justice system, typically through arrest, trial, probation, parole or incarceration. Fair-chance employers are businesses and organizations that are willing to look past the person’s record to the talent the jobseeker has to offer.

“Media focuses on what happens up front or in the courtroom. Then people come home, they’re different people, and they’re living their lives,” said Meredith Rataj, TWA program director. “I’m excited that Ava can see the perspective from this side. It’s a more humanizing role. That’s what we’re always trying to do with employers, have them see the person and talent behind the record.”

Jenne has stepped into a number of administrative roles for the TWA this summer. From the jobseeker side, she is helping convert information forms into formal resumes and building up the organization’s video resume portal – which is accessible by hiring partners – by uploading files and recording the job strengths of the subjects.

On the employer side, she is ensuring the organization’s database information is accurate and touching base with prospective employers in the lead-up to September’s Fair Chance Hiring Academy, which the TWA conducts in tandem with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

This is the first time TWA has hosted a Rockwood intern, but Rataj worked with a PIE intern in her previous job at St. Francis Community Services.

“Ava is truly incredible. She is balancing so much throughout the summer, and she’s excited about doing the work,” Rataj said. “She is really competent, and it’s exciting to have somebody who can hit the ground running and balance all that she is. I’m very impressed with the caliber of student she is.

"She is building capacity for us. I tell her that if she doesn't do it, I do: What she’s doing is director work. It’s a gift.”

In addition to her internship at the TWA this summer, Jenne has two jobs and is competing in her sport.

“I feel like I’m balancing a lot. Going into the summer, my dad was like, ‘You need to chill. Especially if you’re doing an internship,’” she said, with a laugh. “Tons of students get internships, but I don’t think any of them get an internship as cool as this, with this much exposure. It’s a good experience to have going into college, and Meredith has been such a good role model and support system throughout this summer.”

After graduation, Jenne hopes to enroll at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and double-major in criminal justice and psychology.

Alongside gaining applicable experience in her field of choice, Jenne said she is grateful for the expanded vantage point on criminal justice afforded to her by the work of the TWA.

“You get to see all sorts of people from all different walks of life, and that’s really cool,” she said. “The biggest impact on me has been really looking at people as not what they did but what happened to them. And giving people a fresh start. That’s the most important part of this.”