Each summer, Jewish agencies, including Jewish Family and Career Services and the Jewish Community of Louisville offer paid internships that offer Jewish students from Louisville and those who attend school here to get some work experience and learn about working in the nonprofit world. The internship program, now in its 13th year, is run by JFCS’s Ellen Shapira.
This summer, there is only one intern in the program, Michael Hill, and he is working at JFCS.
Hill attended Indiana University, but is planning to transfer to Bellarmine or the University of Louisville in the fall. He plans to study exercise science with a goal of going into physical therapy.
At JFSC, he is a senior case worker and part of the PALS program, providing transportation for seniors who can no longer drive. “I applied for the position,” he explained, “because my grandfather has Alzheimer’s, and I drive him all around all the time. … I spend a lot of time with him, and I find that I have a lot of patience with seniors.”
“I drive some people to dialysis,” he said, and “I went grocery shopping for one lady but I had to make trips back to Kroger because I didn’t get the right things. It was a learning experience.”
On occasion, Hill also helps out with data entry.Hill attended Eliahu Academy and Trinity High School and had his bar mitzvah at The Temple.He works out at the Jewish Community Center and just started swimming. He also did some martial arts.
He plays the drums and enjoys jamming with friends.
Hill heard about the internship program through his mother. “She gave me a list,” he said, “and I saw ‘senior case worker’ and I said, that’s going to be mine”
His parents are Richard Hill and Suzanne Guss. He has a sister, Emily, and a nephew, Jackson.
