by Jason Schulte, Pierce County Herald
One of the main goals of an internship is to see whether or not that is the career the intern wants to do.
For Nicole Kearns, her internship with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department this summer confirmed her interest in criminal justice. "It sealed the deal," the 2006 Ellsworth High School graduate said. "Being able to live and experience it, I know this is what I want to be."
Kearns spent about eight weeks from early May - late June observing several areas of law enforcement. She went on ride alongs with members from the K-9 Department, Water Patrol and regular Patrol (one of those ride alongs was even to the Stanley Correctional Facility to help transport a prisoner on May 22---her 20th birthday).
Kearns also spent time in probation and parole, watched court cases, sentencing hearings and jury trials, and observed the dispatch/jail area. She also viewed Taser training and went to the county's shooting range. "It's a real fun environment to work for," she said. "The staff is really supportive." And that was one of the things that surprised her. "I was impressed with how welcoming they were," she said. "They're not going through the motions. They showed you what they did and why they did it." She added she was impressed by the way sheriff's deputies handled themselves in stressful situations.
Kearns is starting her final year at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn., majoring in criminal justice with the intention of being a lawyer. "It's something I wanted to do," she said, who explained that, growing up, her nose was always in a book.
Kearns said she is on target to graduate a year early and is doing everything possible to accomplish that. During her last two weeks of the internship, she took morning classes at UW - River Falls, then would work her eight-hour shift with the sheriff's department and then take two - to - three hours of online classes. Kearns praised the sheriff's department for their flexibility in helping her obtain that schedule. "They were great, which was a big help," she said.
Looking into a crystal ball, Kearns said that, once she becomes a lawyer, she would like to work on the prosecution side so she can help victims and practice law in a small, rural setting. Kearns is the daughter of Kim and Larry Kearns, and has an older brother, Joshua.
Showing posts with label Intern Spotlight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intern Spotlight. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Intern Spotlight: A summer in D.C.
TOMORROW’S LEADER PREPARES TODAY! Written by Tamika Robinson
Washington, DC- Living in a lavish apartment with three other interns, interning in the nation’s capital, gaining advice from professionals within your desired field, and eating lunch at the NASA Headquarters. If you’ve never spent your summer doing any of the following, then you truly have not experienced the college life.
All of these are examples of the types of experiences that students with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars receive upon acceptance into the program. Students are required to take part in an internship, attend seminars and a class, and also volunteer in their spare time. Tamika Robinson, a Chicago native and rising senior at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, gets to spend her summer doing this and so much more. “I’m really enjoying my time here and all of the opportunities that have come my way.” As a student with The Washington Center’s Mass Communication Program, Tamika spends much of her day interning at Voice of America, an international broadcasting organization. She works in the Central News Service, editing and uploading videos for Voice of America on their YouTube account and shadowing other employees.
When Tamika is not interning at Voice of America, she can be found taking the course, “Journalism: The Nuts and Bolts of Being a Reporter”, at the Washington-based office of The Associated Press. Her professor, Carole Feldman, is the Assistant Bureau Chief for The Associated Press. On the weekends when life is running at a much slower pace, Tamika is either engaged in some sort of volunteer work or viewing the city with roommates and friends. “Just last weekend I volunteered at the Marvin Gaye Park. The Washington Parks and People were hosting a festival that celebrated their efforts in cleaning up a once abandoned, heroine-infested park two years ago. They really did a great job in making the park look beautiful!”
This internship program comes highly recommended by Tamika who feels that “if the chance presents itself to go some place different and do something great, take it!” Once the internship program is over, she will go on to graduate from Saint Mary’s.
Visit the Internship Office to learn more about Saint Mary's partnership with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.
Washington, DC- Living in a lavish apartment with three other interns, interning in the nation’s capital, gaining advice from professionals within your desired field, and eating lunch at the NASA Headquarters. If you’ve never spent your summer doing any of the following, then you truly have not experienced the college life.
All of these are examples of the types of experiences that students with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars receive upon acceptance into the program. Students are required to take part in an internship, attend seminars and a class, and also volunteer in their spare time. Tamika Robinson, a Chicago native and rising senior at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, gets to spend her summer doing this and so much more. “I’m really enjoying my time here and all of the opportunities that have come my way.” As a student with The Washington Center’s Mass Communication Program, Tamika spends much of her day interning at Voice of America, an international broadcasting organization. She works in the Central News Service, editing and uploading videos for Voice of America on their YouTube account and shadowing other employees.
When Tamika is not interning at Voice of America, she can be found taking the course, “Journalism: The Nuts and Bolts of Being a Reporter”, at the Washington-based office of The Associated Press. Her professor, Carole Feldman, is the Assistant Bureau Chief for The Associated Press. On the weekends when life is running at a much slower pace, Tamika is either engaged in some sort of volunteer work or viewing the city with roommates and friends. “Just last weekend I volunteered at the Marvin Gaye Park. The Washington Parks and People were hosting a festival that celebrated their efforts in cleaning up a once abandoned, heroine-infested park two years ago. They really did a great job in making the park look beautiful!”
This internship program comes highly recommended by Tamika who feels that “if the chance presents itself to go some place different and do something great, take it!” Once the internship program is over, she will go on to graduate from Saint Mary’s.
Visit the Internship Office to learn more about Saint Mary's partnership with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Intern Spotlight: My Summer with the DNR
My Summer With the DNR
By: Betsy Baertlein
Southeast Minnesota MinnAqua Intern
08/04/2008
Duties include: baiting hooks, releasing fish, untangling poles, and retaining sanity while fishing with up to 30 kids. While this may not sound like the description of a typical internship, my summer days usually include all of the above. From May to August I am interning with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ MinnAqua Program. With an office in Whitewater State Park, I am responsible for the fifteen county region of Southeast Minnesota. Usually when people ask me what I do, I tell them that I teach kids how to fish, but my internship encompasses so much more than that. Along with teaching kids, I also work with elderly people and mentally disabled adults and teens. I have acted as a liaison between MinnAqua and various community organizations, organized a Fishing Festival for my region, and become familiar with lessons in aquatic ecology and Minnesota fish. Each day at work presents itself as an opportunity for learning and professional growth. For the remainder of the summer, I can look forward to visiting the Duluth region to work at the Great Lakes Aquarium, shadowing a fisheries biologist in Lake City, sharing stories of the summer at an intern camping trip, and, of course, untangling many more poles.
Naturally, you’re probably wondering, how does all of this relate to her future plans? Well, my major is Literature with a Writing Emphasis, and my minor is Environmental Biology. As a junior at SMU, I am not entirely sure what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I would like my career to combine these two fields in some way. I am currently pondering the possibility of doing public relations in the environmental sector. The DNR has been a great organization to work for, and I definitely would not mind spending more time with them in the future.
Pictures will be posted soon!
By: Betsy Baertlein
Southeast Minnesota MinnAqua Intern
08/04/2008
Duties include: baiting hooks, releasing fish, untangling poles, and retaining sanity while fishing with up to 30 kids. While this may not sound like the description of a typical internship, my summer days usually include all of the above. From May to August I am interning with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ MinnAqua Program. With an office in Whitewater State Park, I am responsible for the fifteen county region of Southeast Minnesota. Usually when people ask me what I do, I tell them that I teach kids how to fish, but my internship encompasses so much more than that. Along with teaching kids, I also work with elderly people and mentally disabled adults and teens. I have acted as a liaison between MinnAqua and various community organizations, organized a Fishing Festival for my region, and become familiar with lessons in aquatic ecology and Minnesota fish. Each day at work presents itself as an opportunity for learning and professional growth. For the remainder of the summer, I can look forward to visiting the Duluth region to work at the Great Lakes Aquarium, shadowing a fisheries biologist in Lake City, sharing stories of the summer at an intern camping trip, and, of course, untangling many more poles.
Naturally, you’re probably wondering, how does all of this relate to her future plans? Well, my major is Literature with a Writing Emphasis, and my minor is Environmental Biology. As a junior at SMU, I am not entirely sure what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I would like my career to combine these two fields in some way. I am currently pondering the possibility of doing public relations in the environmental sector. The DNR has been a great organization to work for, and I definitely would not mind spending more time with them in the future.
Pictures will be posted soon!
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