Throughout the Spring semester of 2022, I have been working an internship position that involves working directly with students enrolled in the PSY 200 course through the College of Liberal Arts at UNLV. Some of my duties are to provide emotional support and validation; assist mentees in navigating campus systems and resources; and to help my peers become more engaged in the campus community. Furthermore, I was assigned to a class of over 50 students where each individual is required to participate in one individual meeting, and one group meeting or event during the semester. Therefore, not only has this internship helped me further develop the skills of a psychologist which involves empathy, patience, and much more, but it also aided me in further developing my time management skills and managerial skills as I had to make sure that I booked appointments with my mentees, fit them all into my schedule, and kept track of all our progress in appropriate documents. As someone who is a psychology major, this internship provided valuable experience to me as I was able to help people firsthand with any of the concerns that were presented to me by always pointing them to appropriate resources on campus while giving them my advice when suitable. This internship also continues to further validate to me that the career that I will be pursuing in the Fall of 2022 which is becoming a clinical psychologist, is truly the right job for me as it will continue to fulfill my calling of helping others. In saying this, though this internship involves aiding individuals on a different scale, a lot of the skills that I continued to develop are skills that I will need in the future as a clinical psychologist. As someone who is cognizant of how prevalent mental health obstacles and mental disorders are, and as a person whose innate nature is to help others, I’ve realized the path of becoming a clinical psychologist is the only one for me. I understand that I cannot help everyone, however, with the clinical training and experience that I will receive as a clinical psychologist, I can create environments that protect and support others’ physical and mental health. With all this being said, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to take part in this internship as it is a great segue into the next chapter of my life.
Thank you for serving our students this semester, I agree, I think all of these skills will continue to serve you in graduate school. Best of luck in the Fall!
Hi Angelos,
From the way you described your experience, I can tell that you truly care about the welfare of others. When I first arrived at this university, I did not have a mentor to help me locate useful resources or do mental health check-ins when things got tough. These students are incredibly lucky to have had your support.
I am always so happy to hear of anyone pursuing social and clinical work because the world needs more individuals who want to make a positive change. It's fantastic to hear that this internship affirmed your chosen career path. I wish you the best on your journey!
Hi Angelos,
I was another peer mentor in your cohort. It was great reading about your experience with the program, the lessons it taught you, and how it served you and your future career. I agree that this internship also allowed me to practice empathy and patience skills that I had otherwise been neglecting. I am glad that the internship validated your plans to become a clinical psychologist. Although the clinical psychology route is not for me, the internship did emphasize the importance of leading with empathy and patience in any path I decide to take. Good luck with graduate school!