The search for internships can be challenging for college students, making them question if an internship is worth all the effort of finding one. Trinity University offers students an option in the Arts, Letters and Enterprise (ALE) internship program, which permits students to intern at a scientific, governmental, social, artistic or non-profit organization for academic credit, free on-campus housing and a stipend.
Molly Murry Barkis, junior communication major, hesitated before looking into the ALE internship. Barkis researched the proposed internship program on Handshake, an online job-finding platform, only to find that it was the “perfect position,” a communications and marketing internship for a sustainable development organization. The internship entailed being a communications and marketing intern with the San Antonio Parks Foundation, and it correlated with her passions and aspirations. She worked to permit access to land to improve individual social and emotional development.
“Community input meetings were a big deal as well. I helped to run a few of those. The community was able to pick what they wanted and have their voices heard, which is really important,” Barkis said.
Barkis worked a typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job in the office, translating messages to Spanish to enhance accessibility, managing the organization’s social media account and enticing the local community to attend events hosted by the organization.
“I had some fun days when I met Spurs players, and we did ribbon cuttings of parks and things like that,” Barkis said.
Barkis believes that students must have confidence in themselves and their abilities. She encourages students to ask for help when needed, especially from professors or people who occupy the profession they are interested in.
“Connections are just so important, and talking to people is so important — so do more of that,” Barkis said.
When choosing an internship, Barkis promotes taking action to achieve what needs to be done to develop personally and have meaningful experiences.
“Utilizing your summers in different ways is really important because you will never get three months of time to do whatever you are passionate about ever again in your life,” Barkis said. “We are young, and we have the ability and drive to do cool things.”
Hillary Solomon, a Trinity graduate pursuing a Master’s in Library Science (MLIS), was a marketing intern at the Carver Community Cultural Center, which is located on the East Side of San Antonio, a historically Black neighborhood.
“The Carver Center itself is a historic Black auditorium and library in San Antonio. It was the only place that Black people could attend live shows during segregation,” Solomon said.
Soloman expressed how she loved working for the Carver, explaining that her co-workers were kind to her and wonderful to be around.
“I felt that I was really having an impact, not only on the people that worked there, but also my friends because I would hype up the Carver all the time,” Solomon said. “To see the way that the Carver uplifts local and less well-known artists, most of whom are people of color.”
For Solomon, the process of finding an internship was different. She met with Lauren Turek, associate professor of history, who recommended an ALE internship. Solomon subsequently applied for the internship, seeking an opportunity related to the community and history.
“There were quite a few steps,” Solomon said. “But the people who run the ALE internships will help you through every step of the way. They have an open line of communication. They encourage people to ask questions.”
Solomon explained that the internship solidified her desire to work with the public.
“I chose the Carver out of a really long list of places, because I love music, and I love uplifting people of color and I love being a part of the community,” Solomon said. “I grew up in a socio-political-minded household, so my family would always talk about current events and how they tie into history. We are just very mindful about how history shapes our present and how it can shape our future,” Solomon said.
Solomon encourages students to find an internship that calls to them. She added that she believes many organizations are seeking interns.
“Really find a place that interests you not only in something that you want to do in the future, but also interests you at your heart,” Solomon said. “I would’ve gotten an internship through Trinity earlier.”