Internships, the one word that students will always hear in their college time. Internships are what gives a student the inspiration and skills growth to apply for their future careers. California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), provides multiple opportunities for internships on campus and around the Turlock community.
Dr. Veronica Dawson, who is in charge of internships for the Communication Studies department, says that there is a variety of internships to choose from.
“Generally speaking, the Department of Communication Studies supports students taking on internships that relate directly to the experience of a Communication student and future practitioner,” Dr. Dawson said. “In this sense, the typical kinds of internships are the following: Journalism, Public Relations and Event Planning, Internal Communication, Human Resources, Social Media, Marketing, Web Design, non-profit work, teaching.”
Furthermore, students at Stan State are encouraged to getting some sort of internship outside of campus, whether that means around our local community or elsewhere.
“However, our students are encouraged to find internships with organizations that fit their individual interests and I work with the students and the internship supervisors to make sure that they are doing communication-related work at the job sites,” Dr. Dawson said.
But do all students know about the internships that are offered within their majors? A majority of them do and they even have an idea of what they want. Jasmine Kaur (senior, Liberal Studies) is one of these people.
“One of the internships that interests me in my major is substitute teacher. The reason is because we have a schedule of what’s going on or a template already provided to us, so we follow that and we get to experience how to handle students,” Kaur explains.
Sukhsharn Johal (senior, Kinesiology) and Emaline Quellich (senior, Communication Studies) see internships as something to look forward.
“You get an invaluable experience that’s hands-on from who you intern with. I look forward to it because you get to apply your college knowledge into a work field experience,” said Johal.
“I personally would take an internship during the winter or summer session. At the same time, longer (semester) internships could be beneficial. The longer you spend with a company, the more likely you are to be hired by them.” says Quellich.
Former Communication Studies chair, Dr. Nancy Burroughs agrees with Johal and Quellich.
“It’s a very good way to put theory and classroom practices into use. Important for networking,” Dr. Burroughs emphasized.
Internship positions are not only offered as on-campus positions., but they are also available outside of the campus’ region, such as the Disney College Program. Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, have internships available for college students.
Sara, who declined to provide her last name, and who is the leadership team college program for Disney, explains what makes the Disney internship a unique one.
“It is an internship with Walt Disney. There are three components: Living, learning and earning. You get credit depending on your institution, but we do have classes that offer credit,” explained Sara. “You do not have to know any knowledge about Disneyland resorts, but having paid a visit to the park is beneficial.”
However, staying in the United States may seem comfortable, but why not step out of your comfort zone and go abroad?
Internships that take place abroad are also an option, according to Brett Forray, Administrative Analyst/Specialist at Stan State’s Office of Learning Service.
“It is my understanding that Stanislaus State is still developing the procedures for international internships to comply with the CSU Chancellor’s Office Executive Order 1064 for student internships,” Forray said. “My department, The Office of Service Learning, does not have the authority to assign credit for any internship. Additionally, each academic department would determine whether internships offered through these organizations (USAC/CSUIP) are appropriate placements for our students to receive credit.”
If you are unsure about internship opportunities for your major, contact your internship department chair or click on the link provided and take advantage of what our school has to offer.