Soc/Anthro Internship Panel 2012
The Panel:
Miriam Brown: Student Health 101 Online Magazine, Online Internship
Sarah McGivern: Lilly Summer Vocational Intern (2011): daily Work & ISIAH (Piper Center Academic Internship)
Karl Turnlund: Leaders for Social Change (2011): Northfield Healthy Community Initiative and Area learning Center (Piper Center Academic Internship)
Matt Venker: People with HIV/AIDS' Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan (PRAA) Taipai (International Internship)
Sandy Malecha, Associate Director, Academic Internships, Piper Center.
Ryan Sheppard, Professor of Anthropology
Miriam Brown
Responsibilities:
Reviewed the editorial calendat anf articles for all issues.
Ensured that content was relevant to college students and teh advice given was pertinent and useful.
Highlights:
Flexibility provided by an online internship (allows you to work on your schedule at school and continue doing other things you love during the summer).
Developing the ability to discuss and provide feedback with peers and professionals from other academic backgrounds.
Sarah McGivern
Responsibilites:
Daily work: a nonprofit that works with clients who were recently or long-term unemployed, many of whom were recent refugees to the U.S.
ISIAH: a faith-based community-organizing group that focuses on legislative policy issues within the metro area.
Highlights:
Learning about the grant-writing process.
Developing skills to communicate with non-native English speakers.
Karl Turnlund
Responsibilties:
Split between the Healty Community Initiative (HCI) office and the Northfield Area Learning Center (ALC).
Gathered, interpreted, and evaluated best practice models for two new HCI endevors.
Articulated findings and developed recommendations for programs through two written reports.
Instructed, encouraged, and helped manage summer students at the ALC.
Assisted in the development and organization of the summer social studies curriculum, evaluated student work, and compiled grades.
Highlights:
Living in a house with other students-interns greatly enhanced the internship experience.
Learning how to answer to various supervisors with different expectations and needs.
Matt Venker
Responsibilities:
Translate documents and work records to help with grant applications.
General office tasks and additional translation work as needed.
Highlights:
Gaining greater insight into Chinese culture and the struggles of HIV+ individuals.
Developing greater cross-cultural competency in general and in the workplace.
Sandy Malecha
Advice on the Internship Process:
Minimum of 2 off-campus internship/job experiences to be competative.
Attend organization fairs and prepare!
- Research the organizations that will be there and do additional research on the ones you are interested in.
- Bring copies of your resume, have a general resume and specific resumes designed for the organizations you know that you would like to network with.
Resources:
Stop by the Piper Center, Tomson 270.
Go to the St. Olaf website and search "site directories by major" to find resources specifically for Socioology/Anthropology students.
Advice for Sociology and Anthropology Students
Emphasize Coursework: The Sociology/Anthropology major provides you with valuable perspectives on culture and theory; don't forget to highlight these when you are applying for an internship.
Professors are a Resource: If you are looking for a particular internship or job shadow experience, start talking to your professors. They are an excellent resource and want to help you.
Reflect and Discuss: Take time to reflect and discuss what you are learning/have learned during your internship experience. It could help you in future interviews and on applications.
