My internship with the New Jersey State Parole Board was without a doubt rewarding and overall, an amazing experience. This internship has taught me more than I could have ever thought to learn in a classroom setting. Between the projects I got to complete by myself and the hands-on experiences I got to experience, I truly feel that this internship has been an eye opener for me. In this professional setting I have learned to develop my interpersonal skills, my communication skills, teamwork and leadership skills, confidence, and more. With gaining knowledge about the criminal justice field during this time period, I also developed more professional skills that I will take with me even upon graduation and into my career.
With all the rewards of this internship, there were some challenges that I had to overcome. The most challenging part of this internship was being the only intern in my unit. This made it difficult to connect and network with other students going through similar internship experiences. Another challenge I had to overcome was getting adjusted to the work originally assigned to me, as I was starting in a brand-new role at a new organization. However, my supervisor was extremely understanding about the work I wanted to do, and I enjoyed the majority of what I did. Overall, I am very pleased to be able to put my foot in the door in another agency in New Jersey following my internship last year at the New Jersey State Police. I am thrilled to take what I learned in these professional settings to now apply it in the classroom and my careers to follow.
Olivia Ciccimarra, Criminal Justice ’24
Hi Olivia! Your internship this summer with the New Jersey State Parole Board seems like it was an awesome experience. I think this internship, along with your internship last summer with the state police will give you great insight into what it is like working in each of the different departments. As the only intern in your unit, I’m sure it was difficult to interact with other interns but being able to get taught 1 on 1 might have been a good thing in the long run. I’m glad you enjoyed your internship this summer and I think you are headed in the right direction in your career, especially with 2 state police internships under your belt.
Hi Olivia!
I am so happy to hear that your intern position at the New Jersey State Parole Board was so rewarding! It is amazing that you were able to learn many new skills through hands-on experiences. Everything that you have learned seems like it will be extremely beneficial as you pursue your future career!
Hi Olivia,
This sounded like a wonderful experience. I’m glad you found it worthwhile and rewarding. Internships allow us to learn things that we could never learn in a classroom, hence they are vital for our overall education. The skills you note are critical skills and I’m glad you were able to take them away from the internship. I can relate with the challenges you mention, but I’m glad your supervisor was as understanding as mine was. As interns, these challenges will benefit us in the long-run.
Hey Olivia!
I am so happy that you were able to enjoy yourself at the New Jersey Parole Board with your internship! It is so great that you were able to learn about these great skills that you were working on. I feel like with these challenges you confronted helped you learn some more about the field because you were learning as you went. You also had some support also which helped you grow from these challenges.
Hello, Olivia!
It is wonderful to hear that your internship allowed you to develop many important skills that will you prepare you for success in your future career. Having the opportunity to not only intern for the New jersey Parole Board but also for the New Jersey State Police is great exposure for your field of study, and I am sure these experiences have helped you navigate what specialty you are interested in pursuing long-term. Furthermore, facing challenges sometimes can be overwhelming in the moment, but I truly believe that is when the most growth occurs. It seems to me that you handled the challenges like a champ!
Do you think this led you closer to determining your next steps after college? Was it interesting to see criminal justice from two different perspectives? What other networks did you form from this internship that will help for your future career? It was great learning about your experience, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.