On February 14, the WRD Department’s Student Community Committee hosted an internship information session to help students navigate finding, funding, and making the most of internship experiences.
Current undergraduate student Miranda Kincer, MAWRD alumna Natalie Toth, and Professor Lisa Dush shared about their own experiences being, hiring, and advising interns (respectively). Each offered advice for current WRD students looking to incorporate internship experience in their academic journeys.
The Panelists
Miranda Kincer, BA ‘24, is a Research Assistant Intern at the Chicago History Museum, where she is working with a curatorial team to write, format, and present a special exhibit on oral history.
Natalie Toth, MA ‘18, completed a writing internship at CareContent, a company that specializes in writing impactful pieces for healthcare organizations, during her time in WRD. Now, she works at CareContent as a Lead Content Writer and helps hire new interns at the company.
Lisa Dush, PhD, has been teaching WRD courses at DePaul since 2010. Many of her courses engage students with community partners, and as the SWAN Certificate Coordinator, Professor Dush has plenty of experience connecting students to nonprofit organizations for internships, class assignments, and more.
Michael Gallaway, PhD, chair of WRD’s Student Community Committee, facilitated the event.
The Benefits of Completing an Internship
Beyond course credit for eligible internships and other compensation, internships help students connect what they’re learning in the classroom to job opportunities in other industries.
Miranda Kincer shared that she was motivated to apply for an internship when she realized she was “not 100% sure about where to go future- or career-wise,” but she recognized the importance of trying to “put a foot in the door.” She has now discovered career paths she was not previously aware of, and she has defined specific goals and graduate programs that she looks to begin after graduating from DePaul later this year. She has also worked on projects she is excited to highlight in future educational and professional applications and interviews.
Similarly, Natalie Toth shared how her writing internship at CareContent changed her career trajectory in surprising ways, giving her access to new specializations and opportunities to write about subjects she feels passionate about. Natalie also emphasized the value of networking and new relationships that internships can provide, and she credits these for accelerating her own professional journey.
Finding Internship Opportunities
According to panelists, finding an internship can be as easy as just reaching out to students and professors in your program and seeing what leads they may have. Professor Dush shared that former WRD students who share about their positive internship experiences also give “a serious gift” to others who may be looking for similar opportunities.
Beyond this, both Miranda and Natalie emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind during the internship search. Natalie suggested that students start by defining their own values.
“What are your passions, or even, what are your values? Find someone who aligns with those values, and keep an open mind as well. The beauty of the professional world right now is that in ten years, there are jobs that will be there that don’t even exist yet. Things are going to change, so it’s just a matter of finding something that you really do well and connect with,” Toth shared.
Making the Most of Your internship
Regarding her own internship, Natalie shared several ways to make the most of the experience: “Being clear on what’s expected of you is really important in the beginning. Also, make sure you understand the value in the tasks as well, because-I can’t say it enough—you have to find some passion in what you’re doing . . . make sure you can connect with your work from the beginning.”
Miranda Kincer also encourages students to intentionally incorporate their academic interests into their internship work. For example, in working on the Chicago History Museum’s new oral history exhibit, she considers the varied rhetorical aspects of the way the exhibit is curated, written, arranged, and promoted.
Kincer explained, “I always think back to Dr. Reyes’s course, Cultural Rhetorics, especially in an oral history project approaching communities from within and considering what the physical organization of the museum says about power. Who has power? Whose stories have been collected? . . . It’s really important to consider the exhibit from this kind of cultural rhetoric lens that asks, ‘What is the hegemonic rhetoric here?’”
Funding Your Internship through CPBL Scholarships
Finally, Professor Dush presented information on the Community- and Project-Based Learning (CPBL) Internship Scholarships, including what students can include on their CPBL applications to increase their chances for success.
Beginning in 2020, the CPBL scholarships are funded by DePaul donors with the intention of helping students bridge the gap between their educational experiences and career goals. These scholarships equip students to complete internships in nonprofits and government agencies, and they cover the full cost of tuition for the course. Even students whose tuition is already paid or covered by other scholarships are eligible to receive the scholarship through direct payment.
During the information session, Professor Dush shared that she emailed members of the judging committee for CPBL to see what steps students should take to submit a successful application. After securing an internship with an eligible organization, they advise students to emphasize the specific project and outcomes the internship is intended to achieve, and how doing so will help them achieve their own professional goals. Professor Dush advises students to ask their internship supervisor and DePaul advisor or faculty sponsor to help with this framing process.
“I would absolutely encourage everybody to apply for it,” Dush said, “and I encourage you to apply as early as you can, since the scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis.”
Inspired to seek out your own internship experience? Learn more about earning WRD course credits and other internship details here.