Do Not Fear the Emotional Toll: A Reflection on a Children’s Cancer Center Parcours Civique

What did your Parcours Civique entail?

My civic engagement took place at the Children’s Cancer Center in Lebanon, where I mainly interned in public relations and external affairs. Once a week, I acted as a friend and a support system for children undergoing chemotherapy.

Why did you choose this Parcours Civique?

My best friend passed away from brain cancer when I was in middle school. Her vigorous fight inspired me never to waste time. I always felt like I wanted to reward her, so I wrote paragraphs about her, mentioned her in most of my conversations, and always remembered her. I felt as though my Parcours Civique would be the perfect opportunity to honor her life. The children’s cancer patients I worked with never ceased to fill my heart with happiness and hope.

Did you have trouble finding your Parcours Civique?

In Lebanon, we have a civil society directory called “Daleel Madani” which I used to find my Parcours Civique. As such, I selected and applied to my internship on my own. Even before applying, I already had NGOs in mind.

Was your Parcours Civique paid or unpaid?

My Parcours Civique was unpaid.

Did you get a lot out of your Parcours Civique?

I benefited a lot from my Parcours Civique because I not only experienced field work and helped my community, but I was also introduced to a new field in my major at Sciences Po, Politics and Government. This helped me expand my career vision and my master’s program choices.

If you could offer one piece of Parcours Civique advice to a 1A, what would it be?

Do not overwhelm yourself; always prioritize thinking of the people you are helping before what you get from your work. Do not fear the emotional toll of doing certain jobs because once you start working, you will put your emotions aside.