New Year, New Opportunities
February 12, 2021
By Dianira Piceno, Senior English Major
There are lots of exciting ways for English majors at SOU to get involved in the community. What better way to start off the new year by applying for an internship! The English Program has an extensive list of internship and volunteer opportunities that cater to students’ interests and offer students valuable ways to put their English major to good use.
Internships are a great way to explore different career paths and gain valuable experience. Whether you’re confident or unsure about what you are wanting to do after graduation, internships allow you to gain real-life experience, help build your professional character, and look impressive on a resume.
From incoming freshman to graduating senior, it’s never too early (or late) to tackle an internship. SOU offers a wide variety of internship/volunteer opportunities on or off-campus. Students can also receive up to 4 practicum credits for internships each term.
Bryn Mosier, an SOU English major, has completed two internships, one on campus for SOU marketing and another at Ashland Creek Press. Bryn calls her internship experiences “enlightening.” She says “they helped me figure out what I actually wanted to do and what my career fields and jobs in that area would look like.”
Additionally, the English program works directly with local schools in the Rogue Valley, offering tutoring positions for students. This could be a great opportunity for those aspiring to become educators. The interns will work one-on-one with students and teachers in classrooms.
Michael Surgeon, also an English major, has been interning at North Medford High School while students were learning online during the COVID pandemic. Michael says:
“Being on zoom in a high school classroom was a challenge. Especially because these students were freshmen and they never had the experience of being inside an actual high school classroom. That being said I was still able to connect with students online and help them with their writing and get them excited about the books they were reading. I talked about the books I had to read in college and I was able to talk to some students about their favorite authors like Stephen King. Many of these students were thoughtful and empathetic and I felt really inspired by their work in the classroom. This experience has given me the confidence to pursue a career in teaching.”
In hopes to get students motivated to apply for internships, SOU alumni and mayor of Gold Hill, Brad Studebaker, is offering multiple positions to students to help out the city of Gold Hill. From Community Building, Citizen Committees, and Grant Writing — interns have plenty of options and positions to choose from.
Mayor Studebaker recalled his own experience as an intern when he himself was an undergraduate. He says he found internships “irreplaceable… as they gave me a chance to test-drive an academic area.” Mayor Studebaker notes that there’s a big “difference between learning the content of a subject and working in it and seeing if you really like it.” He offered some “guiding ground rules” to make your internship a success:
- Whatever you do, do your best
- Treat people as you expect to be treated
- Outthink, then outwork
- Learn to learn
- Never settle & keep striving
Internships can play an important role in shaping one’s college experience. They can open many career path options for students who are clueless about their future. The English program encourages all majors and minors to pursue an internship, where you can put your English major to work even before you graduate and gain valuable professional experience to include on your resume!
Interested in the English program at SOU? Learn more about the programs offered below:
English Home Page | English BA/BS | English Minor | TESOL Certificate Program
