Culmination of the 2025-2026 JOIP internship project
“What is community but a collection of stories we tell about each other, to share with other?”
In 2025, the MLP partnered with University of Montevallo undergraduates through the Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Program, supported by the University and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. Together, we explored new ways to connect MLP’s mission to the broader Montevallo community through digital storytelling and community organizing.
This year’s interns formed two teams.
A team of returning interns carried forward last year’s “Crafting LGBTQ+ History,” strengthening bonds within the LGBT community in Montevallo with a focus on the use of deliberative discussions to identify and respond to community needs.
They hosted two educational outreach events in the spring: a presentation from a team from the Magic City Acceptance Center and a presentation from a representative of the Invisible Histories Project. The presenters provided information about queer history and LGBTQ+ care and resources in central Alabama and interacted with participants.
The team of first-year interns developed “Disabilities in Harmony,” a storytelling project that shone a light on the disabled community on UM’s campus, ensuring that students with disabilities feel seen and heard.
They used tabling, interviews, videos, and community forums to amplify the voices and lived experiences of college students with disabilities. Their project heightened awareness “among everyone in Montevallo,” they reported, “especially able-bodied citizens who don’t know much about an underprivileged group such as the disabled community”; inspired others to be advocates and supporters; and encouraged “members of the disabled community to make their voices heard freely.”
Here are some reflections from our 2025—2026 interns.
Hannah Hennessey: “When I first became involved in the Jean O’Conner-Snyder Internship Program (JOIP), I understood that the experience would involve leadership, service, and storytelling. What I did not fully know at the time was how deeply personal and transformative the work would become. This experience challenged me to reflect on the role purposeful storytelling plays in making a difference in this world. I was drawn to disability awareness because I recognized how often disability is misunderstood, overlooked, or spoken about without including the perspectives of disabled individuals themselves.”
Ashley Williams: “I realized I have the potential to be a community leader. I have the ability to reach out to the community and talk with people, learning more about them, making connections, and forming meaningful relationships that I will take with me. I learned that active listening and empathy are great starting points for advocacy. A disability shouldn’t be seen as a burden or hindrance but a new way to look at the world, a new way to adapt.”
Damian McCrickard: “The greatest thing I learned this year came from my queer elders. Those I worked with regarding the Magic City Acceptance Center and the Invisible Histories Project led by example and inspired hope and joy within me when I was feeling most hopeless. They renewed my sense of self by connecting me to my community and my history in ways I never thought possible. . . . Preserving history and preserving community are one and the same. What is community but a collection of stories we tell each other, to share with each other?”
Bridget McCurrach: “Creating a storytelling campaign from an LGBTQIA+ perspective felt like something we could accomplish correctly and respectfully. This project gave me a unique and rewarding experience of watching my community come together for what they want and need, and voice it to those willing to listen. Not only did I learn what Montevallo’s Queer Community needed for themselves but also what this project meant for me as a queer person engaging in community leadership.”