This week: Hot Internships Outside of Chicagoland

Tags

Career Development, careercat, internships, Northwestern, northwestern university

 From UCS student employees Derek Tucker and Laken Howard

A summer internship in another city is the perfect excuse for a change of scenery, and you could find an opportunity at a company you never would have known about had you searched only within the Chicagoland area. If you’re looking to expand your horizons and escape Chicago this summer, consider applying to an internship outside the city at one of the following companies:

Employer: Nike
Position: Global Communications Intern
Class: Juniors and seniors
Compensation: Paid Internship, Access to Athletic Facilities, Discount on Nike Brand
Location: Beaverton, Oregon
Application Deadline: March 27^th
CareerCat ID: 94038

This 12 week internship with Nike is an awesome opportunity for students to get involved in the world of global communications. As a Nike intern, you will establish and strengthen connections with audiences all over the world through the lens of innovation and sport. You will help Nike to focus their brand image and manage corporate reputation and brand equity. Previous interns have said that Nike’s communications internships provide amazing real world experience and that you should expect to do exactly what their full time employees do. You can apply for this position on CareerCat with a resume, cover letter, and writing sample.

Employer: Hulu
Position: Editorial Intern
Class: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors
Compensation: Paid Internship
Location: Santa Monica, California
Application Deadline: August 13^th (Hiring on a rolling basis)
CareerCat ID: 93318

This internship immediately struck us as an interesting and eclectic opportunity for those in Medill who might be interested in writing, editing, and marketing/social media. During an editorial internship with Hulu, expect to leverage your knowledge of what’s going on in the world of television, movies, and current events to engage Hulu’s users and showcase key series. Additionally, interns will have the opportunity to contribute to social media marketing efforts and even write for Hulu.com. Interns will present a marketing plan two weeks into the internship and spend the rest of their time at Hulu executing their plan. To join Hulu at their offices in sunny Santa Monica, apply through CareerCat with a resume, cover letter, and writing sample.

Employer: JDS Development Group
Position: Intern
Compensation: Paid Internship
Location: New York, New York
Application Deadline: April 1^st
CareerCat ID: 94151

This internship with JDS Development group is a paid opportunity to spend the summer in New York working with project management staff to participate in all of the various functions of project management. You will attend project meetings, review various technical drawings, work on marketing, sales, and brand development, conduct research related to projects, and prepare contracts and financial statements for review. This internship would be a great opportunity for engineers looking to get a broad idea of what goes into project management and product development. JDS Development is looking for students who want to work in a team-oriented environment, ask insightful questions, and have knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel as well as Adobe Acrobat. Apply online through CareerCat with a resume and cover letter!

This Week: Hot Jobs & Internships

Tags

Career Development, careercat, internship, jobs, Northwestern, northwestern university

From Career Ambassadors Derek Tucker and Laken Howard

Looking for a cool internship or job? The sheer number of postings in CareerCat can be overwhelming to sort through at times. Here at UCS, we’re searching through the listings to uncover some unique, interesting positions you can apply for in CareerCat. Check back each week to see more “hot jobs,” and don’t forget to do some searching of your own to find the position that’s right for you!

Employer: The Chicago Chamber Musicians
Position: Development/Special Events Intern, General Management Intern
Class: All undergraduates
Compensation: $10/hour
Location: Chicago, IL
Application Deadline: July 31st
CareerCat ID: 93517
This internship with the Chicago Chamber Musicians is an awesome opportunity for those interested in arts management or development. The Chicago Chamber Musicians is a society of professional musicians and supporters dedicated to the study and performance of chamber music. While both internships prefer a background in music, it is not required. The Development and Special Events intern will assist with planning and night-of activities for CCM’s annual Gala as well as other development tasks as assigned. The General Management intern will provide general office support such as copying, mailing, and other administrative tasks. This 10-15 hour per week internship is paid which is pretty unique (and awesome) for the fine arts world. A resume and cover letter are required to apply through CareerCat.

Employer: Abercrombie & Fitch
Position: Leadership Development Internship Program (Merchandising, Inventory Management, Finance)
Class: Junior
Compensation: Paid Internship, Housing Included, Discounts on all A&F Brands
Location: Columbus, OH
Application Deadline: March 7th
CareerCat ID: 93108
This internship program with Abercrombie and Fitch starts with a two week comprehensive training program where interns will get a broader view of the company and its brands. After that, interns are placed in business critical areas for the remainder of the internship. Merchandising interns will oversee vendor communication, attend fittings, participate in design reviews, and stay up to date on the latest product trends. Inventory Management interns will develop department specific inventory strategies and participate in selling reviews. Finance Interns will impact the financial profitability of the company through opportunities in planning and analysis, real estate, and store operations. The company requires a minimum 3.0 GPA, junior status, proven leadership experience, and a desire to pursue a career in retail after graduation. You can apply with a resume (with SAT or ACT scores complete with breakdowns) and an unofficial transcript through CareerCat.

Employer: Blackstone
Position: Future Women Leaders Program
Class: Open to current sophomores (graduating in 2016) who are interested in exploring a career in the financial services industry
Compensation: All expenses paid for Thursday, April 10-Friday, April 11 experience
Location: New York, New York
Application Deadline: March 12th
CareerCat ID: 93816
Blackstone’s Future Women Leaders Program is a unique 2-day experience (Thursday, April 10-Friday, April 11) among financial firms, enabling participants to develop a well-rounded business mind through an interactive information session, networking, and skill-building sessions. Program participants will have the opportunity to interact with business and recruiting professionals at Blackstone’s headquarters in New York City. The program introduces the knowledge, training, and skills necessary to build a strong resume and well-guided career path. Find application instructions in CareerCat.

Winter break to-do list: Prepare for the UCS Winter Internship & Job Fair

Tags

employers, Experiential Learning, Fellowships, internships, jobs, Northwestern, northwestern university, Recruiting, Research, Study Abroad, Travel, Volunteer, Winter Internship & Job Fair

With finals behind you and three weeks of break ahead of you, it’s likely you’ll have some downtime.

Our advice? Use your free time to prepare to land a summer opportunity at the UCS Winter Internship & Job Fair on January 9 in Norris — whether it be an internship, job or fellowship, volunteer service, research or travel. If that isn’t incentive enough, we’re offering our LinkedIn Photo Booth (free professional headshots) from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the fair (first come, first-served) and the first 500 students to arrive at the fair will receive a free business card holder, thanks to Coca-Cola.

Here are 10 things you can do in the next month to make sure you’re ready for the big day:

1. Prepare your resume: Review and update your resume to tailor it to the type of position you are pursuing. Print multiple copies of your polished resume on resume paper.

2. Research the employers who will be attending the fair and potential opportunities. CareerCat, Hoovers, and Glassdoor can help guide your research!

3. Prioritize the employers based on your interests. Find a full list of employers in CareerCat > Events > Career Fairs.

4. Prepare and practice your Elevator Speech, a 30 second-1 minute pitch about yourself and your interest in the employer and/or specific opportunity. A successful elevator speech is brief and will answer two basic questions: Who are you? And why are you interested in this opportunity?

5. Practice responses to sample interview questions.

6. Develop questions for each employer/recruiter. Have the questions ready in a notebook or folder. Your questions should be thoughtful; the internship & job fair is not an opportunity to ask about things you can find on the employer’s website.

7. Purchase and/or polish a suit.

8. Organize your materials for the fair (folder, notebook, portfolio, etc.)

9. Plan to visit your career advisor during all-day UCS Express Advising to have your resume reviewed or your questions answered before the fair. Express Advising is Wednesday, January 8 and Friday, January 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at UCS (620 Lincoln St.) and the UCS Express Advising Center in the Main Library, 2^nd Floor, Core.

10. Mark your calendars for the “Preparing for the Career Fair” workshop, offered Wednesday, January 8 at 4 p.m. in 620 Lincoln.

Tips for the Upcoming Career Fair

Tags

career fair, northwestern university, northwesternucs

So two days into the Fall Quarter and I’m already talking about attending Career Fairs! That’s right- companies have been calling and emailing all summer because they want to meet you and share with you their employment opportunities. Due to the quarter system and starting a bit later than normal, companies are anxious to get to Northwestern and start recruiting. This isn’t a bad thing, but it leaves little time for NU students to prepare for the fall recruiting season.

With the Fall Job and Internship Fair on Tuesday, October 2nd from Noon-4pm in Norris University Center, 2nd Floor, I thought it would be good to share with you all a video UCS made at our Winter Fair last January. The advice still applies and comes straight from the recruiters. Most who will be here again this Fall!

In addition, UCS staff will be at Norris, Louis Room from Noon-4pm on Monday, October 1st hosting the One Stop: Career Fair Prep Walk-in Event. It is a stop in and come back later if you need to style program. Come in to get quick answers to your career fair related questions, receive a resume review, practice answering recruiter questions, practice your elevator speech, etc. We’ll also have Career Guides, listings of the companies who will be at the Career Fair and more resources.

See you all next week at one of THE networking events of the year at Northwestern! Go ‘Cats!

NU Intern Blogger: Caleigh Hernandez

Tags

career, development, internship, investing, northwestern university, northwesternucs, SIGP, The Eleos Foundation, ucs

As a Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) recipient, I had the opportunity to explore a career path that interested me. I had no previous experience in the international development field and was curious about the unique experiences that the field has to offer. I became an intern with the Eleos Foundation in Santa Barbara, California. The Eleos is a nonprofit organization that invests in early stage social businesses in Africa and India. Essentially we invest in Tom’s-shoes-like companies. And at the end of the day, I learned about the environments in which I do, and don’t flourish.

I arrived at my internship nervous and eager to learn. It was a small office with three full time employees and two other interns in a large office building. I was expecting menial tasks, grunt work, as I had heard horror stories from my peers’ interning experiences. I was happily mistaken. I only had to make coffee once, and used the copy machine when I needed it myself, rarely for my supervisors. Instead, I was given research projects that would help steer the future of the organization. I always felt appreciated and felt like an asset rather than a burden.

My projects, although at times repetitive, gave me a broad understanding of the impact investing field, as well as a deeper understanding of the foundation itself. For my first project, I researched hundreds of investors, networks, and incubators/accelerators in the impact investing community and mapped out their risk levels and how well they match up to the Eleos criteria to investing. Not only are these organizations good contacts, but they are potential partners for the Eleos as they continue to look for appropriate entrepreneurs. One of the biggest challenges in the impact investing community is the lack of a single network to connect entrepreneurs to potential investors or incubators/accelerators. This project was helpful for the foundation to find appropriate contacts in the future. I also researched various successful social entrepreneurs in Africa. These companies are good contacts for Eleos investments. I researched everything from SoleRebels, an Ethiopian fair trade zero emission shoe company, to the One Acre Fund teaching agricultural techniques to increase yield for subsistence farmers, to Nuru Energy Group increasing access to affordable and sustainable energy solutions. I am proud to say that I have completed something tangible and helpful and learned about the incredible work of others in the field.

I gained invaluable advice from the Eleos Foundation’s CEO, Andy Lower, about the international development field. I would not have had the opportunity had I not taken this position. My eyes were opened to a new kind of thinking, in which it is our sole job to empower others rather than do it for someone else. We discussed his detest for Tom’s Shoes as it disenfranchises those living in poverty, and alternatives for companies with one for one models such as Tom’s. His advice about keeping my mind open to all future employment opportunities after college was very helpful.

Through this job, I began to form my own opinions about the best approach to international development, a hotly debated topic that I had previously felt too ignorant to debate. My experiences have given me the knowledge and confidence about the field I need to help to shape my future in the direction that I feel most passionately. I am proud that I put myself out there and experimented with something that was interesting to me. Even if my experience had not been as positive, it would have been helpful later on when I begin to job search. In addition, this experience has motivated me to be successful in my education to go on and make a difference in the international development field.

The most inspiring part of my experience was knowing that I was helping people help themselves. Rather than giving a person a fish, we were teaching them how to fish—helping people to life themselves out of poverty. Not only was this exciting, but motivating. I do not want to be apart of something that makes a difference throughout developing countries, but I want to do this by helping others to make a difference within their community. This kind of empowerment is what will make a positive impact in our world.

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.

NU Intern Blogger: Lakshman Mody

Tags

career, DC Intern, internship, Lakshman Mody, Levin, northwestern university, northwesternucs

This summer, I had the pleasure of interning for Congressmen Sander M. Levin [D-MI] on Capitol Hill.  I am an economics major, so my original goal for the summer was to stick on the econ track and go into finance or consulting.  However, I decided to keep an open mind and apply to other internships that I found interesting.  For example, I thought it may prove interesting to intern at the corporate headquarters of Build-A-Bear for the summer.

However, my dad encouraged me to apply for an internship in Congressmen Levin’s office.  I researched Congressmen Levin and discovered that he is the ranking member on the Ways and Means Committee.  I got in touch with his economic advisor and internship coordinator and sent in an application.  I did not hear back for a while and was not expecting anything since I applied so late and I assumed that many people had already applied.

Fortunately, I got accepted and have loved interning here.  The first weeks I was here, I got to work with the economic advisor on the debate to extend the Bush tax cuts.  It was really fun to see when Democrats were on the floor and would cite numbers from the tables that I had made for them.  It was also exciting to work with the press secretary and get a report that I had made released.  Over the last few weeks, I answered phones, sorted mail, and did general intern work as I was the only intern left in the office.

However, working on the hill is “what you make of it.”  You need to explore on your own and look for things to learn.  I got lucky that the office that I worked in encouraged me to do this.  There are many briefings and even an internship lecture series that you may attend.   Make sure to meet other interns as this will make your experience more enjoyable and you will also learn about how other offices operate.

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.

NU Intern Blogger: Sarah Turner

Tags

Anacostia Community Museum (ACM), internship, northwestern university, northwesternucs, Sarah Turner, washington dc

For the past month I have interned at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) in Washington, DC. I imagine that those of you somewhat familiar with the Smithsonian’s museums have not heard of this museum. To be honest, even though I’ve grown up in Washington, DC for the majority of my life and live about five minutes away from ACM, I only vague memories of visiting about 10 years ago.

I managed to stumble upon this local museum haphazardly by applying to every Washington, DC-based art museum for a summer internship. I locked onto the museum partially because I wanted to work with a museum that I did not already know a lot about, but partially because of the aforementioned five minute commute. Despite my questionable intentions, I ended up at a museum with a surprisingly interesting history.

The ACM began as a museum to attract the African-American community of Washington, DC to the Smithsonian in the 1960’s because only about 1% of local African-Americans were taking the time to visit the museums in their own backyard. The museum began housing the leftovers of the more prominent National Museum of Natural History and National American Art Museums in an African-American neighborhood. It was not until a fiery community activist took over, however, that the African-American attendance shot up. He changed the focus of the museum to local, African-American activism with an exhibition on the rodent epidemic plaguing the poor. Since then the museum has focused on urban and folk art.

Upon learning this history I was glad that I joined a small museum, of only about 20 full-time employees, to focus on a community driven theme not often emphasized in larger-scale museums. My job involves creating a comprehensive list of ACM’s many, many objects ranging from an impressive collection of Aunt Jemima objects to a self-taught artist’s woven baskets. I sort through photographs of the items and label them according to an attached number, called an accession number. Although at times the job can be tedious, at the end my work will help ACM complete the Smithsonian-wide decree for an online database for other museums to have an idea of new collection trends, loan possibilities and general openness between the nation’s interactive learning centers. My experience here has showed me that interning at a small place can be just as rewarding, if not more so, than a larger place due to the increased exposure to the different deparments.

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.

NU Intern Blogger: Rachel Beal

Tags

career, internship, Northwestern, northwestern university, northwesternucs, Rachel Beal, Research, REU, RISE

P-type Doping in Paradise, NU Intern Blogger: Rachel Beal

Other RISE Interns and myself (4th from left) before a group dinner

Greetings from sunny Santa Barbara! I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the past seven weeks in a Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE) at the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara. Interns are funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, and are spread out across a variety of science, engineering, and math departments at the University.

As a temporary member of Professor Ram Seshadri’s group in the Materials Research Laboratory, I’ve investigated the synthesis of several complex palladium oxides in addition to their electrical and magnetic behavior. My project, “Electronic Doping and Dilute Magnetic Spins in Complex Palladium Oxides,” explores the possibility of spin-coupling interactions in systems doped with a small amount of Cu²⁺ ions via the conduction of electron holes introduced by substituting an electron-deficient cation into the oxide crystal structure, a process called “p-type” doping in Materials Science. “N-type” doping, or the introduction of additional electrons via substation instead by an electron-rich cation is paired with hole doping to make a P-N junction as a means of amplifying electric current in semiconductor technology like LEDs and lasers. The pairing of semiconductor and magnetic properties in a single material is studied in the field of “spintronics,” and could have exciting technological applications like an instant-on computer where the hard-drive and processor are combined in a single device—computer memory is magnetic whereas logic is performed by semiconducting microchips.

After attending a seminar given by the NU Office of Fellowships during SummerFest this past spring, I looked in to the different Materials Science research opportunities listed on the National Science Foundation website. I applied for a number of positions and jumped at the chance to take advantage UCSB’s outstanding Materials Department and Materials Research Laboratory as well as their nearly on-campus lagoon. I’ve had a rewarding experience both in and out of the laboratory, taking advantage of all the California landscape has to offer from bouldering in the Santa Ynez Mountains to bronzing on sunny beaches.

In fact, finding the right work/play balance has debatably been the key to having a research experience that has been both enjoyable and successful. My internship seems to differ from a typical nine-to-five foray into the corporate world in that it is equal parts industry and academia, and learning to set reasonable daily-research goals has allowed me to budget time for both magnetic measurements and my yoga fetish.  As a student interested more in the Research and Development side of the business sector as well as a graduate degree, immersion in to the research process has been both eye opening and affirming. As I prepare to start my junior year as a Materials Science major in Weinberg, interacting and sharing research experiences with Ph.D. students in my field has helped me solidify my long-term goals in academia and my future career. Similar REU programs are offered in a number of different science and math related fields and I would recommend the experience to any student considering graduate school—several students here are also preparing to apply for medical school—and looking to expand their academic experience beyond the shores of Lake Michigan.

And for those prepared to endure a sunburn or two shedding the pallor from a January to June hibernation in the Tech basement, I have to tell you, California ain’t bad.

Farewell from the Golden State, and see ya in September!

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.

NU Intern Blogger: Brittany Zhang

Tags

Brittany Zhang, Capital Hill, career, internship, northwestern university, northwesternucs, washington dc

This summer, I am interning for Senator Debbie Stabenow [D-MI] on Capitol Hill. My father suggested that I contact my senators about an internship opportunity, and without any expectations I submitted an application. A few months later, I was contacted for a phone interview, and I got a position as a legislative intern!

I have a lot of responsibilities as a legislative intern. Each one of us is assigned to a policy area, from environment to healthcare to defense. I work with the tax and econ legislative aide, and I do a lot of research on a variety of issues. The most recent little project was to find data on insourcing rates in Michigan as well as news stories of companies bringing jobs back to the states. There are also many briefings on a variety of topics, and I would attend these meetings and synthesize the information into a memo for them. I’m majoring in Environmental Science, so tax and econ is way out of my comfort zone, but it has been a huge blessing to be learning about an otherwise unfamiliar policy area.

I also work under the speechwriter, who is the Deputy Chief of Staff. He is in charge of communication as well as the senator’s presentations on the floor. Consequently, I go to the Democratic Cloakroom in the Capitol building very often, running errands and making sure everything is ready for when she addresses the Senate. In fact, I go to the Capitol so often that security guards there recognize me! During the month of August, we produce constituent newsletters, and I will be working on writing small articles for that as well!

To be honest, when I came to the Capitol, I expected to do very trivial tasks, and basically live the intern nightmare. However, I am so glad to be proven wrong, and I am forever grateful that I have been able to get involved with legislation and politics. My advice for other students looking to work for a senator is to definitely strive to do as much as you can, be open and willing to do some extra work. People notice, and as your supervisors trust you more, they are more likely to assign you relevant work. I have learned so much, and I still have a month to go! Who knows what else I will pick up during my time on the Hill!

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.

NU Intern Blogger: Amy Glazier-Torgerson

Tags

Amy Glazier-Torgerson, career, federal public defender, internship, law internship, northwestern university, northwesternucs

On a flight back to Northwestern last year my seatmate casually asked me what I wanted to do “when I grew up.” When I told her that I wanted to be a lawyer, she looked me up and down and said matter-of-factly, “You’re just a little girl… you can’t be a lawyer!” I have a way to go until I’m a lawyer or even until the LSAT (although I wish I had longer), but this summer is my introduction to what a career in law would be like as I intern at the Federal Public Defender of Western Washington in the Seattle office.

Federal Public Defender was established nationally in the 1960s in line with the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) and the Sixth Amendment, which govern the right for those who cannot afford lawyers to be provided with high-quality defense counsel. Each summer, my office hires one undergraduate intern who directly works with the attorneys, investigators, and paralegals on case-related projects and administrative tasks. I knew about the organization beforehand and found the internship application on their website. I contacted an investigator for FPD who I’d met before and she approved me for a phone interview. After the interview, my application went to who is now my boss and I was offered the position. Someone at UCS gave me great advice that helped me land my internship: demonstrate a sincere interest in the organization, be persistent without being pushy, and be genuine.

The cases we get most often at the Seattle office of FPD are immigration, felon in possession (guns and drugs), child pornography, and fraud. I’ve directly worked on all of these cases this summer, as well as pharmacy robbery, probation violation, and murder. The cases that I work on are confidential, so I’m not allowed to repeat client names, defense strategies, or any information that may violate the client’s or our office’s privacy. We work on some highly publicized cases, so it can be frustrating when I want to show someone an article in the paper about our client or talk about an interesting conspiracy theory for an ongoing murder trial, but confidentiality is pretty standard in legal work.

At the beginning of the summer I did a lot of research on different parts of clients’ backgrounds: just how necessary is this prescription drug for the client’s health? What are the best sanctions and rewards for recovering drug addicts? How accurate are polygraph tests and can they be performed on people with degenerative diseases such as Huntington’s or Parkinson’s? These research projects evolved into writing memorandums that I submitted to U.S. district judges and prosecution attorneys representing the United States. I just submitted a memorandum demonstrating the likelihood that a client with Parkinson’s disease developed an impulse control disorder in the form of hypersexuality from the antiparkinson drug Mirapex that influenced him to have a child pornography addiction. In the memorandum that I’m currently working on, I’m analyzing how people become involved in illogical government conspiracy groups and their influence on people of our generation. I do an array of short-term projects, including data entry, searching through discovery, and, of course, lots and lots of research. Additionally, I’ve taken on several technology-based projects, including the construction of a template for discovery indexes, conditional formatting a spreadsheet on caseloads, and training both the Seattle and Tacoma offices in how to use Excel on both beginner and advanced levels! I also participated in a training program that my office held for me and the six law school interns on trial prep, how to handle difficult clients, the use of film at sentencing, and how to best use investigator assistance.

It hit me early on in my internship that I’m not just doing research or writing for the sake of my own benefit, I’m supporting a person who might benefit from my help. Guilty or innocent, everyone deserves someone to fight for them. I’ve seen that for many people, our office has been the first to ever do so. Working here has really influenced how I see the criminal justice system.

I’ve had so many incredible experiences that have profoundly impacted me. On my second day, I went with the law school interns to the U.S. District Court House for a tour of the U.S. Marshall’s facilities, where the accused are taken after their arrest. We smiled when the Marshall touring us said that he needed to put all of his heavy guns in the weapons locker before going into the next room, assuming he was kidding, until of course he did. He told us in gory detail, with a menacing look in his eyes, stories of suicidal and homicidal inmates and the strategies needed to restrain them that I’ll never forget. Another upsetting moment happened just the other day when I learned that a client whose case I worked on is about to die. The attorney and I discussed our shared desire for convincing the prosecution to drop the charges so that he can go without the shame of a trial. On a brighter note, I had an amazing experience when I attended the sentencing of a young client where the judge sided with the defense and did not sentence him to any jail time. He came up to me afterward and sincerely thanked me for the work I had done. It was an incredible feeling knowing that the judge had hope for his rehabilitation and wanted, like us, for him to get a second chance.

I feel so grateful for the experience I’m having this summer: the people are welcoming, the cause is inspiring, and the cases are fascinating. I’ve had invaluable hands-on legal. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit the U.S. District Courthouse several times and the 9th circuit when it was in town- I saw Judge Stephen Reinhardt who approved in a 2-1 decision that Prop. 8 was unconstitutional! I’m only a rising sophomore, so I’m looking forward to many more summers of internships during my Northwestern career. I can only hope that they’re as amazing as this!

About the NU Intern Blogger Program
This summer, over 50 Northwestern University students will be sharing stories about what they are experiencing at their internships from across the country and internationally. Each week new students will share an inside look at what it means to be an intern. Please contact Betsy Gill, Assistant Director, Internship Services if you have any questions.