When I first returned back to campus from my study abroad, I knew that I needed to find a job. But, all the places I applied to had moved forward with other candidates. So, I made my way to a Coffee and Careers and spoke with Emily Hall, and asked her if she knew of any internship opportunities that were still hiring. She told me that she’d get back to me, and within a
few days I had two internships for the summer. The first internship was “Pathway to Your Future”, a summer camp hosted by the MXIBS designed to help high school students make college a reasonable goal. The second internship is with the Volunteers for Mental Health in Montgomery County, a non-profit geared at making mental health more accessible to the citizens of Montgomery County.
During Pathway, I, as well as 3 other Wabash Students, were responsible for the safety of the students, making sure they participated in tasks, and also giving them the full “Wabash Experience”. After the students were done with their tasks for the day, they would have free time to socialize, play sports, or even play video games. I learned a lot from this internship, specifically how to be a leader within a group, manage multiple projects at once, and memorize a phrase that Kim King II repeated very often: “It’s not who you know, but who knows you”.
My second internship with the Volunteers for Mental Health in Montgomery County was more geared towards my professional career, as I’m planning on becoming a therapist. My main task at the VMHMC is to make mental health facts and statistics more available to the public, which includes making posts on their social media. This allowed me a lot of freedom as I could
research varying topics from cyberbullying, suicide, men’s mental health, and LGBTQ+ issues. This work has led to me learning a lot about the Montgomery County community and the issues they face, and the steps they take to fight back against them. This has helped advance my professional career as I have been offered a place on the board this upcoming year!
I’d like to thank Kim King II for choosing me for the Pathway program. I learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader, as well as how dedicated we need to be to form a strong, supportive society. I’d also like to thank Mrs. Denise Booher-Walker for being my mentor at the VMHMC and being there for guidance and support whenever I need it! Finally, I’d like to say a special thanks to Emily Hall, these internships would not have been possible if you hadn’t had these connections, and I’m so thankful for you sending them my way!
