My summer internship experience

You can learn more about your interests, gain insight into what a profession may be like as a career, and discover areas you were unfamiliar with before. For many fields of interest, there are numerous internships available, however, finding an internship in my interest area – higher education administration – seemed like an uphill battle.

Although I have held various internship positions on campus during my academic years, I never held an internship during summer break, let alone one many states away. After copious hours spent searching online, I came upon one that captured my interest. I found it particularly interesting because it allowed for practical experience working in higher education and also allowed me to gain understanding of another institution. In order to secure this internship, I had to fill out an application online, submit my materials via email, await a potential interview invitation email, schedule a Skype interview, and carry out the interview! It was a long process, but it was certainly worth it.

My internship this summer took me to Columbia University in New York City. This experience helped me broaden my professional and personal horizons and delve further into the career field I hope to pursue in the future.

The duration of my internship was eight weeks. The first two weeks were training and the following six were implementing what we learned. The primary responsibility of my internship was to be a resident advisor for 30 high school students attending Columbia’s pre-college program. In this position, I was responsible for the well-being of many international and domestic students, as well as creating enriching and fun excursions throughout New York City. This position required me to be “on call” all throughout the days and evenings, but during the mornings and afternoons, I worked two jobs to help facilitate the program.

My first job was to create and approve/deny many thousands of proposed New York City cultural excursion trips and delegate university funds. My second job was to log student absences from their classes and call students’ parents to report the absence. In the evenings, I would check my students in for curfew and prepare exciting trips to Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.

This internship experience helped me narrow the scope of my professional interests within higher education. One large lesson I took away is that an education from the University of Illinois can take you wherever in the world you want to be. I had never lived anywhere outside Illinois. By interning somewhere outside of my comfort zone, I was able to immerse myself into the immense opportunities and adventures that await all across the globe. My experience also highlighted that a liberal arts education will prepare me to be successful in many situations and circumstances outside average “textbook” clear-cut issues.

Since my internship took me to an unparalleled place for exploring, I was able to embark on many fun activities in the Big Apple. Some of the many things I did included seeing “The Lion King” on Broadway, going to a Yankees game, visiting many specialty bakeries and restaurants, going kayaking in the Hudson River, visiting other boroughs, exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and seeing the Statue of Liberty, among others.

One activity my internship program hosted was a college fair for high school students to attend and ask questions. At this fair, I was able to represent the University of Illinois and answer questions pertaining to student life, academics, campus life, and more. This was by far, one of my favorite experiences of the program because I was able to share my enthusiasm and excitement for the U of I.

My internship helped guide my future career plans and it gave me a greater sense of the world and those who inhabit it. I was able to meet incredible high school students, peers, and professionals that have transformed how I see many aspects of working in higher education. As I start my final year at the University of Illinois, I cannot help but reflect on how my experiences and opportunities would not have been possible without my education, experiences, support, and guidance I am touched with every day here in the College of LAS at Illinois.