Classroom Student Engagement

How did you get your internship and why did you choose it?

I took PAH 200 Introduction to Applied Humanities with Dr. Jacqueline Barrios and that class was my first exposure to applied humanities. The guidance from Dr. Barrios and support from my classmates in developing such creative projects was very illuminating for me. The experience meant so much to me that I wanted to see how I could use my own strengths to contribute to future student’s course experiences and also improve my communication skills by facilitating in-class engagement opportunities. Professor Barrios mentioned in class that she could offer an internship, so I applied for the position and was happy to be selected as an intern.

What were your favorite parts of your internship?

My favorite part of the class was watching the students' presentations after I helped to update instructions about the assignment. Another one of my responsibilities was to give a presentation detailing the food zine my group created when I took PAH 200 to help spark student’s creativity for their own projects. I also organized a classroom activity related to the project content to help people understand the purpose of our project. As a result, I found every student in this class to be very motivated and creative. I enjoyed seeing their inspirations collide and come together. As I watched, I also gathered a lot of inspiration for my own work that I plan to present in the future. The process of listening and taking stock of their collaborative processes was very rewarding for me.

What is the impact of your internship experience?

This internship experience has made me more outgoing. I used to be a very shy person, and I was nervous to  communicate and socialize with people. But there was no way I could avoid interacting with the 40+ students and my professor in this class, otherwise I would not have been able to do my job. I gradually forced myself to interact with others. It was a difficult and challenging process, but I realized that it was something I would still need to face in my future career. By the end of my internship I realized that I was less introverted and that I had become more confident in initiating communication.

What advice do you have for other students as they begin their internship?

My advice is to not be afraid to make mistakes. As students who are just starting out on our career path, we are all imperfect. While making mistakes may result in criticism or consequences, never let small mistakes or failures get you down. We need to learn to accept that we are imperfect or that we will mess things up. If we don't make mistakes we will lose a lot of good opportunities to learn from our experiences and lessons.