Month: June 2024

Ever since I began my journey as a student at The University of Scranton, I have searched for opportunities to work with children in a mental health capacity. The chance to work as a Children and Youth Programming Intern at Church World Service (CWS) is nothing short of spectacular and fulfills this desire perfectly. I am working with children of newly arrived refugees in the United States. My clients come from a wide range of countries and have experienced many hardships in their young lives thus far. I am so excited to provide an empathetic, kind, and professional presence in the lives of these children.  

I began my role as an intern with CWS this week, and I have been welcomed with open arms. So far, my responsibilities have been discussing programming and service provisions with members of the Children and Youth Programming team, completing sensitivity training, and planning for the start of my in-person supervision next week. Upon beginning my in-person training, I will start observing the provision of services to children and their families, provide support through companionship and activities while children are waiting for services, and help with administrative services and data cleaning/analysis. At the start of July, I will be leading a group of interns and volunteers in creating and implementing programming for the Children and Youth Program, which provides psychological services to children of refugee families. 

This experience is sure to be one of the most valuable of my undergraduate career and will enrich my education as a Psychology major deeply. I cannot wait to meet my clients in-person and gain the leadership experience of leading the summer program. I am immensely grateful to the Royal Experience Summer Internship Program and the Center for Career Development for their continued support in this amazing endeavor!  

Madeline Williams, Psychology & Philosophy 

 

Initially, I became interested in interning at the political fundraising firm Berger Hirschberg Strategies, LLC because it incorporates all my main interests into its business model: politics, finance, non-profit work, and networking. As a Political Science major at the University of Scranton, my goal of having a career within the political realm has been spurred on by my passion for public service, current events and social issues- topics with which BHS is extraordinarily aligned with.  

This internship will ideally serve as a stepping stone toward career opportunities in political consulting and/or finance. As an intern, I will be using NGP VAN to manage campaign databases: this is the campaign software used primarily by the Democratic Party. My goal of becoming familiar and adept with this technology will provide me with the necessary training and skills to maximize my hire-ability in the political campaigning field. Although I have used this software before, Berger Hirschberg Strategies handles many aspects of campaigns’ data, meaning that this internship will enable me to have a fully-formed and competent understanding of how their software and data management systems work.  

Additionally, I will be engaging in donor-outreach campaigns, through which I hope to gain stronger interpersonal and soft skills, and learn how to effectively communicate to others the incredible value that can be found in contributing to political campaigns, non-profit initiatives, and other worthy causes. Also, the political advocacy aspect of this internship will broaden my understanding of Democratic political campaigns during a Presidential election year, which will help me to be better informed and educated for any future career opportunities in campaigns and politics. 

Bailey Cornish, Political Science  

I am doing an internship program at Indraloka Sanctuary/NEPA Rescue Clinic in Dalton, PA. The onsite veterinarian gives medical care to the resident farm animals and operates a low-cost small animal clinic and shelter medicine. I have so far intubated a dog, monitored anesthesia, looked at x-rays, drawn and given vaccines, and assisted with restraint of patients. I hope to learn and better develop my venipuncture skills. I have attempted multiple blood draws so far and am still learning to improve my techniques with the veterinarian’s and vet tech’s guidance. I can practice every time we have a patient needing a blood draw, so I hope with time I will improve with this skill.    

This internship will have a massive impact on my future career path since I intend to become a veterinarian. It is vital that veterinarians be proficient in blood draws and venipuncture techniques. While veterinary technicians are often the ones pulling blood, veterinarians need this skill as well. This is especially true in short staff situations and when working as a team. So far, this internship has given me a lot of hands-on experience and skills, and I am so excited for the rest of my internship to see how far I grow. 

Pictured are 5-week-old puppies coming in for their exam and deworming. The lamb pictured is one that Indraloka rescued; its mother stepped on its leg shortly after birth, resulting in a fracture. The lamb recently had surgery to repair the leg and is now on the mend. 

Julianne May, Biology

 

For the next several weeks, I will be interning at Island Dolphin Care (IDC), a non-profit organization in Key Largo, Florida. As a Therapy Intern at Island Dolphin Care, I am excited to gain more education in the practice of animal assisted therapy, specifically with dolphins, to help children and families with special needs, as well as veterans in the United States military living with PTSD. Throughout this unique internship experience, I am eager to learn about working with dolphins and a diverse group of clients with critical illnesses and disabilities during therapy sessions, while also understanding documentation and aiding the therapy staff in various therapeutic activities for participants. I am thrilled to apply my skills and knowledge I have gained in occupational therapy classes, as well as learn new skills with the therapy team at IDC. I am also looking forward to having the opportunity to learn a unique aspect of therapy with the inclusion of dolphins and to enhance my professional skills while interacting with families, staff, and the marine life. Dolphins have amazing social skills, create bonds, and are extremely intelligent, which I am excited to encounter during therapy sessions with clients. I also look forward to gaining more knowledge in marine science and its importance with the institute. 

This experience will impact my career path by allowing me to become familiar with a growing area of practice in occupational therapy. Completing this internship will help me gain more skill development in patient care, professional and career growth, and a network of individuals who are established in the field and can mentor me professionally. Animal assisted therapy has always been interesting to me as I have a passion for animals, especially with the inclusion of dolphins. This internship will help me grow as an individual and will allow me to share the values I have learned from my education at the University of Scranton and the Occupational Therapy Department. 

Justin Matzner, Occupational Therapy

 

This summer I am an intern with the Scranton Counseling Center. I work with the Community School-Based Behavioral Health (CSBBH) team at a local elementary school. Throughout my internship, I hope to gain clinical skills such as creating treatment plans and building rapport with clients. Not only will this opportunity strengthen my clinical skills, but it will also make me a more competitive applicant when I apply to clinical psychology PhD programs. Since I am graduating at the end of this year, it is crucial I spend my summer learning as much as I can from professionals in the field. This is my second internship relevant to my career interest, and so far, it has reinforced my desire to enter the mental health field.  

It has been a few weeks since I started my internship, and I have been given multiple opportunities to learn from the MT and BHT on the team. They have been amazing in educating me about their role and what they do for their clients. Since starting, I have participated in a classroom observation, attended an at-home family visit, assisted in writing a treatment plan, and designed crafts for the Therapeutic Summer Program. Additionally, I am interacting directly with clients nearly every day at my internship. I am beyond grateful to work with people who foster my growth and allow me to learn from their experiences. I am also extremely grateful for the Roche Family Center for Career Development and the Psychology Department because they have given me the support I needed to make the most of my internship. 

My-Kim Dang, Psychology

 

At the Bucks County Public Defender’s office, I have had the opportunity to interview clients, review police affidavits, watch discovery, observe trials and hearings, and assist attorneys with different projects. I have just completed my first week and this internship has been incredibly hands-on, providing me with many invaluable experiences that I will carry with me moving forward. As an intern, I have met many clients from diverse cultures and backgrounds and have assisted these individuals with navigating the complex justice system. 

Moreover, I have also gained a newfound respect for the devoted attorneys who work in this field. Even with the heavy caseloads and tight time restraints, the professionals in this office remain kind, sympathetic, understanding, and upbeat. I am inspired by the attorneys in the office who have taken on this kind of work to protect the disadvantaged from being punished due to financial restraints. 

From a young age, I have always been interested in going to law school and practicing criminal law. With this internship, I hope to get a feel for what my career could potentially look like and figure out if this is the job for me. So far, this internship has introduced me to a very welcoming environment filled with good people. As I continue to expand my understanding of the typical tasks of a public defender, I also hope to learn about the innerworkings of the criminal justice system in terms of representing indigent clients. On top of this, I hope to become more understanding of others who have varying experiences and backgrounds.

Chelsea Curran, Political Science