Jenise Durant saw her dreams of obtaining a college degree come true when on Dec. 13 she graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in psychology and criminal justice.
CSU senior Jenise Durant, standing, and CSU professor Susan Styles.Durant, who is from Lynchburg, was recently honored by the Dorchester County Department of Juvenile Justice as the 2008 Volunteer/Intern of the Year. The award is given annually to the intern making significant improvements in the lives of the youth of Dorchester County.
“I am very grateful and blessed to even be involved with the Department of Juvenile Justice, so winning this award is like icing on the cake,” said Durant. “I want to thank everyone at Dorchester County DJJ. They are awesome individuals who deserve more compensation for the wonderful, selfless job they do,” she said.
As a volunteer for DJJ, Durant conducted intake services for new cases. “Basically, I advise the children and their parents/guardians of their rights and obtain background information from them. I also perform contract meetings,” said Durant. During her time as a volunteer, she also made house visits throughout the community and helped whenever and wherever she was needed.
“We chose Jenise,” said Deborah Smith, county director of DJJ, “because she went above and beyond what was required. She always gave more than was asked of her, more than the normal intern. There is something about her enthusiasm, her personality. She showed up on time everyday, and always seemed happy to be here. We are always glad to have interns here from Charleston Southern.”
Durant describes the working atmosphere at DJJ as relaxed and supportive. “It is priceless to enjoy coming to work and being able to perform your duties without someone stifling your abilities. I also enjoyed the learning experiences. I learned how very important it is to invest time in our youth. It is sad to see kids have so little hope in their future, so I am glad to be able to inspire some of them.”
Durant’s recognition was not the only one with a CSU connection. Susan Styles, a psychology professor at the university, was also honored by DJJ for her work as faculty sponsor for the interns by being named the 2008 Intern Network of the Year.
Smith praised the interns she receives from Charleston Southern. “The interns from Charleston Southern are easy to work with, reliable, and interested in what we do. She (Styles) always sends us great interns who are highly motivated.”
Styles said the partnership between Charleston Southern and DJJ is a wonderful working relationship. “Our intern sites that are the most successful are those which match the students with internship supervisors who really care that the students are going to have a valuable learning experience, and Deborah does that for us. I can always count on her when I call to find a place for our students.”
As for her future plans, Durant is contemplating whether to pursue graduate school or enter the U.S. Air Force while studying for the Law School Admission Test. She plans to continue her volunteer work at DJJ and hopes to become a part of Howard University’s 2010 freshman class.