Month: August 2026

The most rewarding part of my internship was interacting and working with the local community around the battlefield, including historians, reenactors, farmers, etc. As my time here has progressed, everyone involved has shown appreciation for the care, love, and support for the site! I’ve come to appreciate the details of the location’s history, as many events took place here and in the area during America’s Revolution.

Probably the most frequent part of my internship was partaking in research with local historians and archeologists who are involved in all sorts of topics surrounding the battlefield. This includes a lot of reading, assessing artifacts, making hypotheses, collaborating sources, and making conclusions based on these. Another major part that I was involved in was museum programming for visitors and social events, to explain and entertain the unique history found here. To get a grasp on all things related to my internship required a familiarity with the park area and its sites.

One of my favorite parts of the battlefield I’ve explored is called ‘Perrine Hill’, a low, rolling hill covered by crops and tall grass. This area is where General Washington took a defensive position on the high ground overlooking much of the battlefield; in fact, he was nearly hit by an enemy cannonball! It was also the location where the local legend of Molly Pitcher originated. Within the farm field itself, fighting occurred between both armies, coming to hand-to-hand combat at some point. Today, the area where this took place is a soybean farm; on a sunny day, a light breeze gently shakes the soybean leaves beneath a blue sky. I found it very calming, and a fitting place for the dead to rest in peace.

The Perrine family originated from France in the 1600s, descendants of French Huguenots who fled persecution to practice their Christian religion in the New World. Like the New England Pilgrims, people in colonial America understood the importance of freedom from tyranny. It’s these things that I was able to learn about through involvement and experience on the site. Many of the people involved understand the significance of the soil they tread, no matter their expertise.

– Robert O’Gorman, History 2028

As I reflect on the past three months of my internship with the Luzerne County Public Defender’s Office, I’ve walked away with an even greater appreciation for the dedicated professionals who often serve as the “last line of defense” between their clients and the loss of freedoms. Whether negotiating plea deals, advocating for treatment options, or fighting for a lesser charge, these lawyers have taught me that a “win” is not always a ‘not guilty’ verdict.

When people are at their lowest, public defenders remain their corner, ensuring their voice is heard and their rights are protected. This does not mean that public defenders excuse their clients’ actions. Rather, they serve as a protective layer against abuses of power and unfair sentencing while ethically advocating for the best possible outcomes for their client. This has helped me separate my personal judgement from what the law requires. I understand that attorneys hold a professional responsibility to follow rulings and laws. Likewise, this has allowed me to sharpen my critical thinking skills when I’ve reviewed cases and observed court proceedings. Rather than drawing an immediate conclusion, I’ve examined the facts, weighed the different perspectives, and, if applicable, watched the attorney fight it in court. Furthermore, I often follow-up with questions regarding their strategy and thought process, further fostering my understanding of legal advocacy.

Certain decisions carry legal consequences that aim to balance the needs of the community and the rehabilitative needs of the defendant. Regardless of a defendant’s background, the law should equally apply to them as it does to anyone else. Public defenders ensure that even the most vulnerable have access to high-quality legal representation. Without them, our justice system could not truly serve justice.

– William Burke, Business Communication 2027

From Observation to Understanding: My Growth in the Emergency Department

As my internship in the Guthrie Lourdes Emergency Department comes to a close, I have reflected on the experiences that have shaped my professional growth and strengthened my interest in counseling and social work. One of my biggest goals entering this internship was to strengthen my communication skills and learn how to build meaningful connections with patients. Through active listening, asking thoughtful questions, and observing patient interactions, I gained a deeper understanding of how effective communication builds trust and supports positive patient experiences. These experiences strengthened my confidence in working with individuals during difficult and vulnerable situations.

I also developed a deeper understanding of professionalism and ethical practice. Working in a healthcare environment reinforced the importance of confidentiality, maintaining boundaries, and treating every patient with dignity and respect. In addition, interacting with patients from diverse backgrounds helped improve my cultural competence and taught me the value of approaching each individual without assumptions.

Another area of growth was understanding the role of collaboration in patient care. Observing social workers coordinate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals demonstrated how teamwork helps ensure patients receive the support and resources they need.

Through supervision and feedback, I also became more aware of my strengths and areas for continued growth. This self-reflection helped build my confidence and prepare me for future experiences in the helping profession.

The most rewarding part of my internship was seeing the positive impact social workers can have on patients during challenging times. Witnessing the compassion, advocacy, and support provided to patients reinforced my desire to help others through meaningful conversations and connections. Through these experiences, I discovered that counseling is the career path I am most passionate about pursuing and where I hope to make a meaningful difference in the future.

Overall, this internship helped me develop skills in communication, active listening, professionalism, cultural competence, collaboration, and self-reflection while strengthening my commitment to helping others.

Exploring community resources helped me understand how social workers support patients beyond the hospital by connecting them with services that promote long-term well-being.

– Peyton Germaine, Psychology 2029

The most rewarding part of my internship with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office was having the opportunity to work with multiple departments. In law enforcement, there are many different career paths and specialties you can choose from, which can feel overwhelming at times. Throughout my internship, I got to work with departments like the Detective Unit, Patrol Division, K9, Office of Emergency Management, Fire Marshal, Home Detention, the 911 Call Center, and many more. Having experience with such a large variety of departments allowed me to see where my interests lie and get a better understanding of where I would want to focus my career in.

Working as a Student Police Officer with the University Police Department, I felt that I already had a strong foundation of the skills needed to thrive in a law enforcement career. However, I feel that these skills have grown exponentially over the course of my internship. I noticed my biggest improvement in my multitasking and quick-thinking skills. Many of my assignments or departments I worked with needed me to juggle multiple things at once and think quickly on my feet. These are important skills, as many situations require quick action and may need to be handled simultaneously with other work.

Two additional skills that I feel like I developed throughout this experience were my communication and critical thinking. Working with different departments required me to communicate with a variety of officers and staff members and learn how to ask questions, listen carefully, and adapt to different working environments. My critical-thinking skills also improved through assignments such as digital investigations and simulated emergency calls, where I had to analyze information, determine what was important, and make decisions based on the situation in front of me. These skills are ones that I know will continue to benefit me throughout my education and future career in law enforcement. Overall, my internship with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office has been nothing short of valuable and has taught me lessons that I will carry with me throughout my senior year and my own career in law enforcement. Having this experience has helped to shape my future and given me the strong foundation needed to succeed in this field.

– Hannah Horn, Cybercrime & Homeland Security 2027

The most rewarding part of my internship was having the opportunity to apply what I learned in the classroom to real world cybersecurity settings while contributing to meaningful projects. Rather than simply observing, I was trusted with assignments that directly supported the University’s Information Security Office, including reviewing security policies, investigating suspicious network activity using, participating in vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, and creating documentation of the University’s Network Security Monitoring Environment. Being able to contribute to documentation that will help future interns and employees better understand the University’s security infrastructure was especially rewarding because it allowed me to leave a lasting contribution beyond my internship.

Throughout the internship, I developed both my technical and professional skills. Technically, I strengthened my understanding of network security monitoring, intrusion detection systems, vulnerability management, threat analysis, and cybersecurity governance. I also gained hands-on experience working with enterprise security tools and learned how multiple security technologies integrate to detect, analyze, and respond to potential threats. Professionally, I improved my technical writing, documentation, communication, and collaboration skills by working alongside cybersecurity analysts, network administrators, and system administrators. Participating in weekly IT roundtable meetings also gave me valuable insight into how different departments work together to make security decisions and manage organizational risk.

Overall, this internship exceeded my expectations and confirmed that cybersecurity is the career path I want to pursue. It reinforced that protecting an organization requires much more than technical knowledge; it also depends on strong communication, documentation, teamwork, and continuous learning. The experience gave me greater confidence in my abilities and provided practical experience that will benefit me as I continue my education and work toward a career in cybersecurity.

– Alex Steele, Cybercrime & Homeland Security 2027

This summer, I completed my internship with the Honorable Andrea Composto, and it was an experience I will always be grateful for. Judge Composto is someone I truly admire, and I learned so much from watching her lead her courtroom.

The most rewarding part of my internship was being able to see both sides of every case. I watched attorneys present their arguments, and then I had the opportunity to ask Judge Composto questions and better understand the reasoning behind her decisions. It gave me a new appreciation for how much thought and care goes into every case, especially in family court, where the decisions made can have a lasting impact on people’s lives. There is a wide array of people that come to family court, and Judge Composto treats them with fairness and kindness, which is why it makes her such a great judge to learn from.

I also enjoyed learning about the behind-the-scenes work of the courtroom, including how evidence is admitted and the important role that the court clerk plays. Throughout the internship, I strengthened my communication skills and gained a better understanding of courtroom procedures. This internship has furthered my interest in the law, and I greatly admire all the people in our legal system that work behind the scenes to facilitate a just court system.

– Liz Ortega, Psychology & Political Science 2027