Hometown: Williamston, Michigan

Major and class standing:  Humanities Prelaw

Where you interned at: The Women’s Center of Greater Lansing, Lansing, Michigan

What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?

My internship title at the Women’s Center was “Client Support Intern.” My position mainly functioned to serve the consumers of the center by helping them achieve their goals. This would often include assisting consumers with resume building and using technology; helping them fill out paperwork; creating appropriate looks for work or job interviews out of our professional clothing closet; and possibly referring them to other community resources. However, I was also occasionally assigned to other tasks outside of client support, such as research projects, creative projects, organizing, and some manual and clerical work.

How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?

When I found myself looking for an internship position, I knew I wanted to work with a nonprofit organization that was centered around the needs of women in the community. Therefore, I simply researched organizations in the area that provide important services to women and reached out to them individually over email—always providing a resume and cover letter.

What did your daily routine include?

I typically would arrive at the Women’s Center and discuss anything of significance in the schedule, such as meetings or events that were to take place with my supervisor, fellow interns, and often other volunteers. Then, I would assist any consumers of the center if they required my help. If this was not the case at the time, then I would work on any other projects assigned to me by the Women’s Center; however, priority is always given to the consumers of the center first and foremost, as they are the reason the center exists and are its main focus. The other projects that I contributed to during my time at the center was researching and compiling information about the Michigan Clean Slate Act and the expungement process; creating media for the center to use on their website; as well as a complete overhaul to the clothing inventory, so that it could be more easily restocked by future volunteers and accessed by consumers.

Your favorite experience from the internship (2-3 sentences)

Because of my background in Fashion Design and Marketing, I was immediately drawn to the professional clothing closet located on the second floor of the Women’s Center. I eventually began overseeing a lot of the developments within the professional clothing closet, and very much enjoyed those tasks.I had the opportunity to assist women with finding those perfect outfits that would help to give them that extra boost of confidence they were looking for to nail that interview, or to land that next job.

What was your least favorite part of the internship?

I truly believe that all my experiences I have had during my internship at the Women’s Center have been positive and have helped me to build inner strength and a myriad of skills. However, you are often confronted with challenging situations, as the client you may be working to help might be facing dire and sometimes dangerous circumstances. Although it is difficult at times, it is essential to their success that you manage your time with them properly and always lend support in a very calm and comforting way.

What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?

The Women’s Center of Greater Lansing’s most important values are equity and inclusion. It is imperative to the success of the consumers and the organization that we provide all women with the most safe, inviting, and inclusive space possible so that they feel comfortable enough to focus on themselves and reach their goals. By and through this mission I have learned a great deal about diversity and inclusion, as well as specific ways in which we can practice and apply the values of inclusivity. Additionally, as a client support intern for the center, my interpersonal skills were always being utilized and built upon; because we work with the public directly as well as operate within an office setting, it is also essential that we conduct ourselves with utmost professionalism as well. Furthermore, I learned how to navigate new software programs which required me to build upon my technological and computer skills.

What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?

As I hadn’t had the opportunity to work for a nonprofit organization before my internship, I feel that I now have a much better idea of how a nonprofit functions and the substantial role that a resource center plays within the community. I have also become more aware of new types of positions and careers within nonprofit organizations like the Women’s Center—which has allowed me to imagine other careers outside of the legal field for myself, such as social work, or possibly becoming a therapist.

What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?

If you are interested in doing something, it never hurts to reach out and ask about opportunities. Just make sure that before you do so, you have done some research about the organization or company so that you know whether it will be a good fit. That way you have enough background to write a concise, but informed, cover letter about why you belong there, upon voicing your interest!