My internship reflection

My internship at NAMI Southern Nevada was beyond expected! There is so much potential in the Mental Health field—many opportunities to bring awareness. We actively worked on getting resources out to the community by participating in tabling events.

The highlight of my internship with NAMI was collaborating with a Youth Peer Program pilot starting soon in Las Vegas. NAMI allowed me to be involved in the process by communicating with applicants via email, reviewing resumes, and being part of the hiring process and candidate selection, allowing me to learn what a company seeks in an employee and how they can utilize their strengths—first time being in a panel interview! -it feels different when you are on the other side (not being the interviewee). This helped me to sharpen my interpersonal skills. The other part of my internship allowed me to shadow the executive director, which taught me that running a non-profit organization is tricky; you must wear different hats to get things going. Being prepared with statistics, connections, and collaborations and being organized makes things smoother when applying for grants or requesting a budget.

My psychology studies encircle mental challenges; understanding different concepts allows me to recognize and empathize with others. The lectures learned at UNLV gave me the foundation, and my internship experience let me put it into practice. I discovered talents I didn't know I had (public speaking). I will use my new expertise in my future career. I want to work in the Mental Health field, and NAMI is already opening doors to connect me to the proper channels. For example, I was asked to facilitate future family support groups. A piece of advice for future students is to take the opportunity to be in an internship that complements their studies. It will help you discover talents you didn't know you had aligned with new opportunities. You'll love it!