Taylor Gonsalves interned with 314 Action in Washington, DC, and gained experience in donor research and public relations.
What advice do you have for students when they are searching for internship opportunities?
My main advice would be to allow yourself to explore any and all opportunities that you may have even the slightest interest in. My emphasis being Fashion Studies, I went into the PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness course thinking that I would find opportunities only in the fashion industry. Considering all of the internships within the fashion industry that I applied for did not end up choosing an applicant because of the coronavirus pandemic, I am extremely grateful that I had decided to apply for opportunities in other industries. Furthermore, the work I did for 314 Action’s communication department is directly related to my humanities and communication training here at The University of Arizona and I can now apply the skills I learned to other communication departments, even in other industries.
What advice do you have for students at the beginning of their internship?
As for students beginning their internship, my main advice would be to keep an open-mind and never doubt yourself. There were a few times, especially at the beginning of my internship, were I felt a little intimidated by all of the new things I was learning. Once I got into the swing of things, and having talking to Internship Director Stephanie Springer about my challenges, I began to gain confidence and really fall in love with the meaningful contributions I was making.
So, all of that said, my overall advice to anyone looking for an internship or beginning an internship would be to let yourself experience everything. Stephanie Springer (the Applied Humanities Internship Director) told us at the start of PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness that the average person has twelve different jobs in their professional life, so there is no reason to think you need to find your perfect opportunity right away. The world is uncertain, especially in today’s times, so give yourself the space to explore and learn so that you can grow as a future professional. I am still learning and growing today and am excited to join 314 Action’s team again this fall and continue learning from their incredible team.