Thus far, my internship experience has been an interesting one. As with anything in life, you have to be willing to take risks; for my summer '23 internship, I was paired with and am currently serving as an intern for The Nevada Center for Civic Engagement (NVCCE), a local organization whose mission statement is "to promote and support the study of history, law, and civics for the development of responsible and informed citizens who are committed to democratic principles and active engagement in representative government." Given that this is the first time I've dipped my toes into an internship, a remote one at that, it's hard to make sense of how I should feel, but I will not deny, from the stories that I've heard and the conversations I've had this organization does phenomenal work in the community. This organization operates at the hands of three, and they've done excellent work to inspire and change the lives of many of our local youth. For context, I am a psychology major aspiring to also minor in sociology. One might question why I'm an intern for an organization built around teaching government and civic engagement within a community; the truth of the matter is, yes, it does derive from my field of study, but they were willing to take a shot on me, not to mention that I had seen it as an opportunity to learn some new skills, broaden my horizons and be an activist alongside the members who make up this team. Having only been a part of my internship for 3 1/2 weeks, I'm hoping to have only scratched the surface because I still feel there is still a lot to learn and see. I've been offered the opportunity to travel up to Elko for some teachings on history as well as engage in some online seminars for the Library of Congress, but unfortunately, scheduling conflicts have interfered with my ability to take part in these happenings. Again, as an up-and-coming psychology major, I couldn't say no to getting some experience under my belt. In my short time with NVCCE, I've found that someone with an interest in government, civics, public policy, and political sciences would benefit most from this type of internship. Admittedly, this experience has opened my eye's to what is possible and has encouraged the use of my critical thinking skills in ways, but I don't know that this is necessarily my cup of tea, only due to the fact that I want to be more involved in areas surrounding mental health, but then again, as someone who often questions why things occur and how changes can be made, this experience has unlocked an element to that level of questioning. Who knows? With upwards of 5 weeks remaining in my internship, my opinion and perspective in relation to this internship could change.
A message to future and incoming interns:
It's highly unlikely that each and every internship opportunity you take part in is going to open the door to your next dream job. Sometimes you have to open your mind to experiences you've never considered before to narrow down and figure out where your passion lies and your interests are. You should be able to hang your head high when it's all said and done, say, "I did that," and pride yourself on the best intern you could be. Remember to be trainable, open-minded, and respectable, but don't forget to stay true to who you are throughout the process.