My name is Lindsay Hiatt and I am a Sociology-Criminology major with a minor in Psychology graduating this semester.
As I sat down last November to schedule for my final semester at Ohio University, I knew that I wanted the last leg of my journey to be memorable.
Many people told me to take easy classes, like ice skating or yoga, but I still wanted to get more out of my field of study.
I had attended a meeting during a previous semester with Roberta Roberson and had gotten information about the Sociology-Criminology Internship. I decided to dig up that information out of my desk and contact Roberta. From there, I completed the application process and patiently waited to hear if I had been chosen for an internship.
I was! And later met with Roberta to discuss my options.
Why an Internship?
Sociology-Criminology is not like nursing or education where you know you’re either going to be a nurse or a teacher; this field of study is broad, which means several career options to consider after graduation.
This is both positive and negative.
If you know exactly what direction you would like to head in, you can begin applying for jobs in those areas.
If you’re like me, with absolutely no clue what direction you want to head in, participating in an internship could help.
The main reason I thought it would be a good idea for me to have an internship is because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my degree and I felt like an internship could open up new doors and opportunities for my career path.
The past three years I have worked in child care. I had always had in the back of my mind that maybe there would be a way for me to combine my degree with my love for kids.
After doing some research, I came across the Athens County Child Advocacy Center (CAC). The CAC helps children of Athens County who have been victims of sexual abuse.
I knew immediately that’s where I wanted to be placed. After interviewing with them and going against some tough competition, I got picked to be one of their two interns for spring semester of 2017!
Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse
Going into this internship, I honestly had no idea what to expect!
But I think that’s what I liked about it.
After all, do we really know what to expect after we graduate and leave campus?
My internship is going really well. Since we are a small non-profit, I only have two other co-workers, my director and the full-time child and family advocate. I like that I work so closely with them.
I have been able to observe forensic interviews with our detective from the Sheriff’s Office, interact with families and children that come into our office, sit in on Multi-Disciplinary team meetings, as well as attend a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) meeting.
Whenever I tell someone that I’m helping children who have been victims of sexual abuse, their reactions tend to always be the same, “Wow, you really have to have the right heart to do that kind of thing”. And they’re exactly right.
I Love Making a Difference!
Even though I do witness some very traumatic, sad things, at the end of the day, I love that I am helping these children.
I love that I am giving them a voice. I love that I am advocating for their rights.
I am making a difference.
Career Choice Confirmation – and Interviews
My internship experience at the CAC has definitely made me sure that I want to continue advocating for children while using my sociology/criminology degree, so I started applying for positions only a few weeks into the semester.
I have a job interviews lined up with children’s services departments in two different counties!
My internship experience has been beneficial to me on my resume because places hiring sometimes require experience as well as a degree.
This professional experience will help me be ready to conquer my first big girl job as a new college graduate.
Comments