Intern Spotlight: Alyse Cronk
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Alyse is from Los Angeles, CA and a recent graduate of Reed College’s class of 2020. She spent her time at Reed earning a degree in economics and wrote her senior thesis on the way groups of families, friends, and neighbors can socially and financially empower themselves in developing countries. In addition to her academics, Alyse was a part of Reed’s Sexual Assault Prevention &
Response team, acting as a Confidential Advocate and Multicultural Coordinator. Outside of the classroom you can find her playing soccer or chilling with her two cats, Mila & Georgia.
Why did you first get interested in interning with NCVLI and victims’ rights?
My interest in victims’ rights began when I started working for Reed College’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Response program as both a Confidential Advocate and Multicultural Coordinator. I wanted to sit in on the training and workshops and I eventually gained the 40 hours of training necessary for my confidentiality status with survivors while employed at the school. Working with survivors has been so incredibly educational, as well as personally fulfilling.
If you could change one thing about the current victims’ rights environment, be it legal, political, public recognition, victim social/psychological services, etc., what would it be?
There needs to be increased public funding to create wraparound services for victims and survivors. On both state and federal levels, we need to support active legislation that protects victims and provides resources such as pro-bono legal aid such as mental health support. Lastly, I would move to change the level of awareness the general public has about victims’ rights. Victims’ rights are an intersectional aspect of our day-to-day life.
What one thing has surprised you or have you learned about victims’ rights since you started your internship?
I’ve been so surprised and excited to learn about the increasing magnitude of firms, nonprofits, and stakeholders that are so deeply motivated to support victims and their rights. I’ve made it a priority in my life to be involved in community issues, and had previously not worked with a national nonprofit like NCVLI. Throughout my internship, I became more and more aware of NCVLI’s reach, with both the data analysis and conference work I was able to contribute to showing me how many stakeholders are fighting the good fight.
