A specialized internship program pioneered by The Career Center and the American Red Cross allowed students to spend this past summer working one-on-one with members of their communities, helping the Red Cross carry out its educational and disaster-assistance services.
The program gave students hands-on experience in a variety of humanitarian areas at Red Cross chapters across the country. Fourteen students participated in the program, which was offered to University students and recent graduates.
The program was created to give students an opportunity to participate in high quality internships at a respected nonprofit organization.
“The Red Cross is a good fit for our students, as many of them want to intern in cities other than St. Louis,” said April Shinell, career development specialist in The Career Center. “The St. Louis chapter is able to provide training to students while they are in St. Louis during the school year, while students were able to choose from chapters across the country to complete their internship during the summer.”
Internships were secured at chapters in Baltimore; Bellingham, Wash.; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Jacksonville, Fla.; Milwaukee; New York; Phoenix; St. Louis; Tucson, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C.
Senior Alison Zisser worked at the Northeast Florida Red Cross in Jacksonville. She described the internship as an amazing experience.
“I worked with families after natural disasters, such as house fires, and provided for their immediate emotional and material needs,” Zisser said. “The gratitude that these families expressed after receiving our support and assistance reaffirmed my desire to pursue a degree in clinical counseling.
“It meant so much to these people to just know that someone cared about their situation and would help them rebuild their lives.”
While each student had the flexibility to individualize the internship to his or her specific interests and goals, the program was designed to provide structure and allow for evaluation of the experience.
Each student completed an approved learning contract that outlined the internship expectations, daily duties, personal contributions and opportunities to learn and grow professionally. Mid- and post-evaluations were required, helping ensure the internship was on the right track.
The program was a great success.
“We always encourage students to use an internship as an opportunity to ‘try on’ a career that is of interest,” Shinell said. “Students gained valuable hands-on experience and were able to see if this type of career would be a good fit for them.
“Many students were also able to see their work directly impact their communities, which made for an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Shinell said The Career Center plans to continue the program again next summer.
“The structure of the program will change slightly, however, to encourage students to take more ownership of the internship search process, which is a great learning experience that better prepares students for their job search,” she said.
“We will continue to provide the support and resources students will need to secure an internship with the Red Cross, but each student will be responsible for finding a position at the chapter of his or her choice.”
For more information, call 935-8239.