INTERNS FROM

BY ABREANNA BLOSE | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS

Internships have the power to lead students to make decisions about the career they plan to pursue for the rest of their lives. The application, interviewing and decision-making process can be intimidating, but the experience can be invaluable.

Internship applicants are expected to formulate a competitive application, typically including a resume and a cover letter; this process can be tedious and frustrating.C ollege students are left wondering if they should accept paid or unpaid positions; how they will sustain themselves and how their worth is measured as an intern are also things to consider.”

Brigid Mcsteen, a junior studying retail fashion merchandising says that, at first, she felt insecure with her application, especially knowing people from larger fashion schools would be applying to similar positions.

“I figured, ‘I go to Ohio University. What fashion brand is going to hire someone from Ohio University?’” Mcsteen says.

She described societal norms and pressures that took a toll on her selfworth while applying to positions.

“Women feel like if there’s one thing that they’re missing on qualifications, they won’t apply because they think, ‘Oh, I’m underqualified’ and it’s not that way at all,” Mcsteen says.

She persisted, landing an internship position last year with Dauphinette, located in New York City. Mcsteen says that the biggest challenge for students looking to intern in hotspots such as NYC is the search for housing. Luckily, she was able to sustain herself in the costly city by living with family. Call it luck or fate, her mom got a job offer in the city the same week Mcsteen was offered her internship position.

“We moved there together,” Mcsteen says. “It just aligned perfectly, which was an amazing privilege, I guess because paying rent there is next to impossible, especially when it’s unpaid.”

Makenna Koogler, a sophomore studying wildlife and conservation biology, says her internship at the Morris Laboratory on campus is helping her gain experience and make strides toward her dream career.

Her post-graduation goal is to find a career in herpetology, which is a branch of zoology centered around the study of amphibians. Koogler spends her time at the lab cleaning fish tanks, caring for the fish and recently, testing glucose and activity levels.

“Getting experience working with fish has been really beneficial,” Koogler says.

Koogler’s position is paid, making her feel like a valuable member of the team and motivating her to do additional work while learning indispensable lessons. She says that those who feel unqualified should deal their hand, anyway.

“By not applying, you’re only limiting yourself,” Koogler says.

Julianna Rittenberg, a sophomore studying political science, says it is important to consider a budget when accepting or declining an internship position. She explains it is dire to consider housing, transportation, food and stress-free activities.

Rittenberg spent her fall semester in Washington D.C. as a LGBTQ Victory Institute intern. She spent four days a week working in Congresswoman Sharice David’s office and every Friday at a professional development institute. While learning valuable life and career goals, the internship program also provided housing, transportation and a stipend for interns, making life a little less stressful for Rittenberg.

She says that the transition to an internship position may be difficult, but the experience itself is worthwhile.

“It was really scary and all my friends were back here starting the school year, but it worked out and it was okay,” Rittenberg says. “It was a really good experience.”

Emma Dubler, a senior studying integrated language arts, also had to adapt to life as an intern. This past fall semester, she began working as a student intern in an eighth grade English classroom where she creates lesson plans, teaches those lessons and grades all assignments.

“It’s pretty much exactly what I want to do after I graduate,” Dubler says.

Throughout this experience, she has learned to properly manage her time and understand what working as an educator will be like post-graduation.

Her position, like most student teachers, is unpaid. Doing so much work without compensation makes it harder, but Dubler loves what she is doing.

“If I am struggling, I can come to

[my mentor] and she’ll help me out or take over for the day if necessary,” Dubler says. “So, if you have a helpful mentor, the internship itself is significantly easier.”

She details the importance of staying positive during the application and interviewing process of an internship. Don't take anything personally,” she says. “Especially in the interview process.”

Even when it feels rocky, balance is attainable. These four students can all agree their internship experiences have allowed them to explore their future careers and discover more of themselves. The goal of any internship is to grow within one’s field and make essential decisions about the future.

“I actually learned so much in this internship, more than I have learned in any class, any program that I’ve attended,” Mcsteen says. “It was the realworld experience that helped me decide where I wanted to take my career. b