My internship at The Rogers Foundation (CORE) helped me gain exposure to real issues not found in textbooks, it also helped to increase my skills that are readily marketable from doing this internship. Over an extended period, CORE offers regular, tailored programming. In order to fulfill our objective of empowering, enriching, and educating marginalized children to lead lives filled with choice, CORE taught me that it is essential to break the cycle of poverty. Research indicates that this requires long-term participation. Interning for CORE provided me with personal growth experiences and exposure to different job opportunities and an overall perspective on how non-profits function. CORE gives students and their families a chance to succeed and prosper. Throughout my internship my supervisor had me focus on specific goals to get overall understanding of CORE’s values: Developing the skill to deliver an engaging workshop for scholars or families, supporting the measurement and assessment of the families and scholars, preparing the scholar and family assessments and reviewing survey data, establishing CORE non-profit policies, collaborating within the CORE network for a shared goal, supporting the creation and review of standard operating procedures. These goals allowed me to indulge into my internship on a deeper level. This Internship helped me gain the confidence I needed to perfect my innate abilities. I also gained valuable work experience in which I can apply to various sectors of my future career in clinical psychology. It also gave me an abundance of some insight on how to solve problems within the field of social work and psychology. The CORE team was also very welcoming and willing to teach me the various aspects of their non-profit organization. CORE inspired me to make affirmative change within our communities as many low-income students and families lack the necessary resources to live choice filled lives, attain necessary resources, opportunities, and progress. I want to commit to working toward CORE’s mission in a way that centers social justice and equity at all levels of our community. The objective of CORE has had a profound impact on me because it is based on the conviction that making long-term, holistic investments in children and their families is the most effective method to promote economic mobility and equity. CORE is creating a success infrastructure to ensure that historically marginalized youth may pursue choice-filled lives, from two-generational programs to social-emotional development. My internship was directly related to my major of psychology as they’re driven to not only provide students and families with an abundance of resources and opportunities, but they closely focus on each individual student’s mental health as they are paired with CORE Social Emotional Champions. Students need social-emotional learning because it gives them valuable life lessons including how to understand themselves, form a positive self-image, accept responsibility for their actions, and create relationships with others. The CORE socio Emotional Champions instruct the students in CORE socio-emotional skills including problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control, and empathy that enhance academic performance, lessen harmful social behaviors like bullying, and foster a supportive learning environment. Children who have strong social and emotional abilities can successfully navigate daily life. In terms of education requirements, it was required that student interns like myself have a general understanding of the environmental/behavioral influences, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), inherent bias within our healthcare system, etc. I was able to use the many psychological concepts and terms I have learned throughout my college experience. After completing this internship I truly believe that I’m inspired to pursue my dream of becoming a clinical social worker. Within the bounds of their acknowledged professional expertise, clinical social workers provide counseling to individuals, couples, families, and groups to assist them in making the best use of medical, social, counseling, or psychological services. The only license in Nevada that permits independent clinical social work practice is the LCSW. A doctoral degree in social work or an MSW from a program authorized by the CSWE are prerequisites for becoming an LCSW. The LCSW license, like the LISW license, calls for a specific amount of post-graduate supervised experience. I had never done an internship before so it was a learning experience for me. Would I do this over again?....Definitely and I would highly recommend an internship to incoming interns. It is a very rewarding experience that establishes growth in integrity, character, and my overall purpose for pursuing clinical psychology to assist those who lack the necessary mental health resources. I think this is a great course and would recommend it to another student, thanks for the opportunity to learn and grow from this experience.
CORE was truly a life changing and immersive expereince that I will cherish!
