Major(s):American Studies
Internship Site: Playworks - Los Angeles, CA

The Internship:   
The Internship Coordinator showed me the site idealist.org, which was very helpful in finding a number of internships in my area of interest.  I called the Playworks Office to get my name out there, wrote a cover letter and spruced up my resume (with help from the Career Center). Within a week, I got a call to set up a Skype interview, which I had the following week in an office in the basement of the Career Center.  Prior to the interview I took sample questions provided by the Career Center and wrote out detailed answers to the ones I found relevant and thought I would be most likely asked. This preparation was key in my successful interview because it made me comfortable, confident, and concise but thoughtful in my answers.  

My favorite project was helping the Program Director and Program Associate with organizing service projects. I was a part of the team this summer that planned events for each month. September being the next month, the plans have all been finalized for a Police/Firefighter Appreciation Day on September 11th. It was great to have the authority to help make decisions with the Program Director and Program Associate but also be given the autonomy to research local fire departments and police stations that would be willing to be a guest speaker at the event and research fun activities for the children while at the end. 

The Preparation:   
Since I am an American Studies major, a lot of my classes prepared me for this internship. Specifically, classes that dealt with societal, cultural, racial, and economical issues were most relevant. Stratification, a sociology class that dealt with studying the “layers of American society that shape, construct, and inhibit the basic pursuit for equality of opportunity”, made me knowledgeable in the system America has in place that dictates a person’s social and economic status and cultural and social values. Another class that was helpful in being an intern at Playworks was the Child Development class where I learned about a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development; this helped since Playworks deals with young kids and helps to shape those areas of development through play.

Making Connections:   
All the staff in the office was helpful in my internship. The office was small (consisted of seven employees) so I got to know each member of the Southern California staff, what exactly they bring to Playworks,  and what their passions are.  The informational interview I did with my supervisor as part of the Internship Notation Program was very insightful and provided me with knowledge about many aspects of the non-profit industry and Playworks. She has great advice and I was very grateful to have worked with her all summer.

Tips from Laura: 
Apply to more than enough internships, and don’t limit yourself because you never know what you’re going to enjoy. Follow the advice on how to be successful in an interview and land an internship that the Career Center provides, it really helps. And finally, if you have the opportunity to be an intern, arrive at work each day with an open mind, and be ready to listen and take in as much advice as you can towards your work. For an internship, you take out as much as you put in; I think that is a very important motto to work by.

*To find out more about how to get an internship, make an appointment with a career counselor. Just call the Career Center at 717-245-1740 or stop by Biddle House.