Interning Your Way to the Top

By Kristen Poplaski Staff Writer

Many of us know the famous saying “When one door closes, another one opens” by Alexander Graham Bell, but not many know the whole quote, which goes, “When one door closes, another one opens but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” As students it often seems to be our job to rush into a degree in a field we’re not even sure we’d enjoy in the future, worried that the “door” might close off any future opportunities, but that doesn’t need to be the case. Rather than rushing in blind, we can test the waters of what we think we want by participating in internships.

Getting your foot in the door is always the hardest part of a job. Internships not only provide hands-on real world experience, but as Professor Michael La Barbera, Chairperson of the Math and Science Department, who is constantly on the prowl for internship opportunities for students at HCC, said, “It’s a pathway to a full time job.”

In addition, internships are a great way for students to kickstart their careers.

After internships, LaBarbera said, he’s seen “many people get hired right after.”

These work opportunities allow students to make connections and gain skills that are extremely helpful when applying for jobs or when submitting applications for higher education.

Professor Farshad Ravanshad, the academic advisor for Computer Science and Computer Information Systems. contributed to the conversation, saying that students doing internships “makes them far more marketable.”

Ravanshad had also said something that most of us already know but don’t take to heart:

“Working on a degree won’t give you real world experience….A GPA of 4.0 isn’t enough.” It’s important to have real world experience as well as the degree to back it up because employers will pay more attention to applicants who have experience in the field in which they are applying. As La Barbera said, it “makes you stand out”.

As a student at HCC I discovered the importance of internships myself in Summer 2021. As a first year college student, I was encouraged to get an internship by my older brother. An application and a call later and I was surrounded by people with Masters and Doctorates in a lab with products going to actual customers. Going into the internship, I was concerned that I wouldn’t know what I was doing or that I’d be a hindrance to the people who were doing their jobs properly, but the people were amazing.

They treated me with the utmost care and always made sure that I knew what to do and that I was comfortable doing it. They didn’t expect me to know, rather they encouraged me to learn and ask questions. It made me realize that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life and the place I belong is in a chem lab. It gave me the push I needed to continue on my journey to become an engineer and I met some amazing and kind people along the way.

HCC alumni and past intern Andrew Ryan has had similar experiences.

“I’ve had several internship opportunities and they have all been great and they gave me a feel of what it’s like in the industry and helped me decide on my career,” he says.

Photo by S Migaj from Pexels Effort is the only way to get to the top.

Although he didn’t go through HCC to get his internship, he still was able to land an eventful internship in his field that benefited him by giving him references and skills that he could call upon when applying to a four year university, so take it from someone with experience when he says, “There’s nothing like real world experience.”

There are many internship opportunities for students in a variety of fields such as STEM, Criminal Justice, Human Services, Early Childhood Education, Medical Assisting and many more. Some specific opportunities include the 2022 Yale Summer Enrichment Medical Academy (YSEMA) and Internship Programs at NASA. The YESMA program is a free six-week residential program for those interested in the medical field to learn about topics pertaining to the field such as general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, writing & communications, and research. Additionally, students will receive $600 in addition to the DICE office paying for student’s housing, travel and meals. The application deadline is February 15th, 2022 and the course lasts from June 4th to July 15th 2022. The internship program at NASA, on the other hand, is a great opportunity for students in the STEM field. NASA offers a variety of internship positions both academic and nonacademic. For additional information on internship or mentorship opportunities, you can find contact information in the Career Services section of the HCC website under “Contact us.” You can contact one of HCC’s pathway advisors for information on general internships. For a specific type of internship, contact HCC’s program director in the specific department. Another beneficial resource for students is the STEM page on the HCC website, which introduces new opportunities in the STEM field to students as the opportunities arise. Students can also look for internships on their own outside of school.

So, when thinking about the future, keep in mind all the options that are available and don’t be blind to the doors that are opening in front of you. Professor La Barbera says it best when he says, “Overall, internships can be a great thing,” but it’s easy to miss a great opportunity if you aren’t looking. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for an opportunity that could change your life.

“Internships are a great way for students to kickstart their careers. ”