Lindsey Stum ’14

"Major(s): Spanish
Internship Site: NavYouth - Columbia, MD

The Internship:   
While in high school, I participated in the ministry of NavYouth as a student. I enjoyed it immensely and my leaders have become profound mentors in my life. I wanted to spend my summer both giving back to the ministry and learning more about what it means to work in high school ministry myself.

I worked on several different projects including administrative work, leading a Bible study, teaching, and planning several events. Each week, it was my job to plan games for our Thursday night meetings and plan our Friday morning brunches. My favorite was planning brunch because I love cooking, especially breakfast foods, but also because it became a great bonding time with our students.

The Challenges:   
I think the most challenging part was learning how to structure my time. Because NavYouth does not have an office or a set workday, I had to work from home and find a way to balance the responsibilities of my internship against my other responsibilities. I had to learn how to discipline myself and spend my time wisely. I had learned these skills from being a student, but I found it very different without classes and due dates to help me structure my time.

The Preparation:   
I think my most helpful classes in preparing me for this internship were my education classes. Through the internship, I learned a lot more about the nature of working with teenagers: how to best engage them, what they like and dislike, and what best attracts them. In my education classes, we talked about the developmental stages of different age groups as well as did lots of in-class observations. All of this gave me a better handle on how to interact and work best with teenagers.

The Future:  
Working with high school youth has always been in my career plans. At school, I am studying to become a high school Spanish teacher. This internship opened my eyes to other ways of working with youth. I know now that I want to be more than just a teacher; I want to be a mentor to teenagers. This internship also helped me see the inner-workings of youth ministry, which has helped me better think through the possibilities for my future.

Tips from Lindsey: 
I would recommend finding an internship working with people you may perhaps already have a relationship with. My internship went much smoother because the people in charge of me had known me since high school. Instead of spending time getting to know one another, they jumped right into meeting me where I was and helping me with my needs. I was able to learn a lot from some of the wisest people in my life in a professional capacity.

I think that the best internships are the ones you do not have to look too far to find. Use the connections you already to have to learn from some amazing people you already know.


*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.