Olivia Stephenson

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship.

I learned about this opportunity through my Russian grammar class. I had been looking for more ways to get involved and this opportunity came up toward the end of the semester. I emailed the program supervisor and shared my interest and after applying and waiting a while, I was accepted into the program.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

Since this experience was the first of its kind through the program, there was not a long waiting window. What most likely helped me get chosen was that I was in higher- leveled Russian courses at the time.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

My responsibility as an intern was to create content to represent the Department of Languages and Linguistics at Florida State University. We all chose a language department to represent, as well as our own, so that all of the languages would be fairly promoted. There were only seven interns on our team , which was fairly small and since it was the first semester being done, we all tried to find what worked best in regards to creating content. It was up to our discretion on what content to create, but we were constantly told about specific events going on at the university that tied into language and culture.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

A typical day would be thinking of what content to produce next.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

Through this experience, I gained greater confidence in my interviewing and writing skills. This also allowed me to express my creative side which is rare through my majors. These skills, especially interviewing, come in handy when I graduate because of my ability to talk easier to individuals.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

It allowed me to gain a greater idea of what I want to do in the future, especially with a Russian concentration, which I was previously unsure about.