Hello everyone! I am Karina Burck. I will work for the Community Housing Network (CHN) this summer. Before I delve into my week, I would like you all to get to know me better. Starting with the basics, I am a fourth-year Ohio State University student pursuing a dual degree in City and Regional Planning and Public Policy Analysis with a specialized minor in Socioeconomic Globalization. In total, that mouth full can tell you that I care about seeing my fellow humans thrive. I am from Huntley, IL (a little suburb of Chicago). Outside of school, I enjoy being active through yoga, running, hiking, weight training, and cycling. I am also passionate about fashion, ceramics (specifically wheel throwing), and photography. All these activities keep me very busy, but I would like to learn woodworking at some point in the next few years.

Okay, let’s move on to what matters: my non-profit site. I am thankful to have been paired with CHN because they are service-focused. They develop and manage permanent supportive housing and provide services to people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorders, and other trauma-related issues. On my first day, I realized the significant impact CHN makes on the Columbus community and how large an organization they are. CHN has been around for over 35 years and houses over 1,500 people aged 18 to 65+. They are working hard to provide people with the space to live and thrive in modern society. I am beyond impressed with CHN and the collective spirit of its staff.  

For CHN I will be doing an environmental scan to prepare them to build their next organizational strategic plan. The environmental scan encompasses resident focus groups, interviews with stakeholders, internal analysis, and an external look at the current state of homelessness, mental health, addiction, and housing on local to national scales. This is the first time that I feel an internship is preparing me for work that I will complete after graduation. I am extremely excited to jump into my work at CHN this summer and contribute to their impactful mission!