A senior at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and a four-year intern with Simpson Housing Services, Kimberly St. Julien is achieving important milestones and heading toward a promising future. A responsible, hardworking, and insightful young woman, Kim has been a valued member of the Simpson team.
While at Simpson, Kim worked on a variety of business administration and human resources projects including answering phones, reconciling credit card statements, compiling staff survey information, and assisting with office support tasks like scanning and filing documents.
As a team member, Kim developed transferable work skills and life-changing perspectives: “As I progressed, I learned about what Simpson did and how it helps people experiencing homelessness. I would answer phones and talk to people who had been kicked out of their homes, who were living in their car or on the street. They just wanted a place to wash their face. I became more empathetic to others and what they were going through,” she says.
Kim participated in staff meetings and Racial Justice Task Force trainings. “The trainings have made me aware of social justice issues like homelessness and the challenging issues faced by people of color.” Learning at these trainings and typing up diverse staff perspectives from Racial Justice Task Force surveys were on Kim’s list of favorite activities.
The Simpson team is grateful for Kim’s contributions to our work. “Kim has been a great asset. She is inquisitive and attentive to detail. She has completed challenging tasks like reconciling credit card statements. She soaks up information like a sponge, and looks for ways to challenge herself. She understands the programs and could share it with people in need,” says Sandrine Lah, Simpson’s Human Resources Generalist and Operations Coordinator.
Kim’s internship at Simpson Housing Services is an integral part of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School curriculum. As one of 37 Cristo Rey high schools across the United States, Cristo Rey in Minneapolis partners with more than 120 organizations in the Twin Cities area across all industry sectors. Students intern in a work setting one or two days per week. In return, these partners contribute to the cost of the student’s education. The partnerships create rich learning experiences in which students acquire important life-long skills, gain new perspectives, and imagine possibilities for the future.
Cristo Rey has partnered with Simpson since 2016. Kim and five other Cristo Rey interns have worked with Simpson during the past four years.
“It has been an absolute blessing to partner with Simpson,” says Cristo Rey Client Relations Manager Suzanne Denson. “Simpson’s mission and values — to celebrate the uniqueness of every person— resonates with us. This is what we strive for at Cristo Rey. Simpson staff let students share in this work by creating a positive space, recognizing their talents, and helping them learn and thrive.”
Kim will graduate from Cristo Rey High School next month. She will attend St. Catherine’s University in the fall. She is excited about pursuing a liberal arts education and learning about different areas of study. Undecided about her major, there is one thing about which she is certain: “I want to help people. Simpson has helped me to set this goal. I want to benefit other people,” she says.
Kim provides a final reflection about her time with Simpson: “I’d like to thank Simpson for what they’ve done for me over the last four years. I loved the team. I was very welcomed by everyone. It was a good experience — it gave me stability. It was a happy experience, every day.”
The Simpson team celebrates Kim and her exciting accomplishments. Thank you and best wishes, Kim!