Kaitlyn Carroll

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?
   I scheduled an interview and spent the following week/days leading up to the interview preparing. I reviewed both the company's website and their social media accounts.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your part-time job, what were they?
   I used Handshake and the Career Center itself to receive assistance on creating my resume and cover letter for the application.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.
   In my internship, I led a team of four student interns. I had the responsibility of connecting with the staff members of my company to communicate assignments to those team members. Additionally, I kept everyone on track with our assignments by maintaining a project plan and other necessary documents/spreadsheets, holding weekly meetings with members of different teams within my company, and I held weekly team meetings to answer questions and review status on projects. Finally, I conducted evaluations with every intern once a semester.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"
   A typical day at my internship would include attending company-wide meetings on Zoom, meeting with my team on Zoom to assign different projects, checking in with my supervisor at least once a day, working on research projects related to our key issues in public policy, and tracking different legislation in Florida that impacts children and families.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next steps in your career?
   This experience gave me the opportunity to lead a team of student interns, providing me with leadership and communication skills that I would not have received in another part-time job. I learned about nonprofit management and working in public policy and advocacy, as well as how to collaborate with people of different backgrounds and fields.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?
   Before this internship, I was unsure about how I would be able to find a career where I can fight for social justice to make a difference in people's lives. Now, I am interested in pursuing a full-time career in public policy and advocacy to advocate for criminal justice reform. This internship gave me valuable experience in public policy and the legislative process that I will take into a career.