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This semester, my internship is at Falmouth Elementary School in Stafford, VA. I found this internship under UMW’s psychology internship page where I was looking for an opportunity to work with a school counselor. In high school, I loved my school counselor so much that I made sure my fourth block was free so that I could spend time outside the counselor’s offices in the lounge in case they needed someone to run counseling passes. I did this because even in high school I could see just how important her job was and how often she was engaging with students. I found the most intriguing part of her job to be how she was able to get to know students personally. This helped her to make individualized schedules, give direction with future career goals, and help students in regard to an academic setting and academia itself. So, I wanted to get experience doing this myself.

Being placed at an elementary school was not my first choice since I wanted to do more of the scheduling and college preparation aspect; however, I am learning just how crucial it is that these younger kids get exposed to good coping skills, conflict resolution, and how to have a growth mindset at an early age. This not only helps them in the moment; like when they come into the office when they are upset, but it helps lay the foundation of important skills to have which they will build on throughout their whole education.

In this internship specifically, I have gotten to help with several organizations offered at the elementary school. One of these is the 5th Grade Ambassadors. These are students who have decided they want to be good role models and leaders. On my first day, I got the opportunity to take a field trip with them to the Sheriff’s office. The field trip was a reward and symbol of what good leaders look like in our community. Another organization I got to observe was the Purple Up Club. This club is for students with a parent in the military. The one time I’ve gotten to observe them so far, they were also talking about leadership; people they can look up to and become. In addition, I am helping with another organization called Reading Buddies. This group consists of 5th graders who meet in the cafeteria to read to the first graders so that the first graders one, get experience with older students, and two, get more exposure in an area where they are currently struggling.

In addition to these organizations I have also gotten to be a part of classroom lessons and some one-on-one sessions (with permission) where the counselor does an activity based on a specific topic. For example, one topic was on goal setting and goal achievement. In this classroom lesson, the students listed one language they would like to learn, one place they would like to go, or one thing they would like to become better at, etc. The second part of the activity included them making a 4 step plan that they would use to reach that goal.

Overall, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to work with a supervisor where I can ask questions and learn from her experiences to see if this is the career I want to pursue. I am also thankful that I got placed in an elementary school rather a high school because I knew I wanted to work in a high school, but now I’m also considering elementary school.

I found my internship through using our Handshake, a job and internship platform that the UMW Career Center provides to students and alumni. After I learned more about the organization and their dedication towards low economic neighborhoods in the Richmond area, and their purpose to provide extra help and resources to those kids, I knew how important it would be to be a part of a child’s relationship with school.
One of the key parts of my internship is working in small groups with the children in reading and math. I learned to create lesson plans designed to the children’s’ needs. When creating my first lesson plan, it was hard because I had not yet met some of the students and was not sure what topics they were struggling with.
On my first day, specifically meeting my reading group, I learned that I would have just one student. I thought it would be difficult because the rest of the interns and teachers had two or more kids, but it was a blessing in disguise. With our one-on-one time, I was able to learn where the child was academically and some of his interests. When I first created my lesson plan, it was not specifically designed for how he wanted to learn. Along the way I learned that he enjoys arts and craft, fun games, and writing on the white board, so I adjusted the lesson plans.
For example, I was planning on giving him a ton of sheets of paper to fill out about one of the books we would be reading, but instead I started to write out the charts on the whiteboard for him to fill out. He likes seeing the white board up there for him to fill out. He likes being able to be on his feet to move around rather than sitting in a chair the whole time. In addition, he has learned that first we get through our academics like reading out loud, filling out the whiteboard, writing, etc and then there will always be a fun activity. He has learned to wait patiently for the games he likes to do each week.
Then for my math group, I discovered that they like being on the computer. For the past two weeks, I was preparing to do fun math worksheets and games, but I decided to switch that up and utilize math-oriented computer games. From previously tutoring with Stafford Junction at UMW I learned of a resource called Blooket and I used that any chance I got. Taking from that experience, I made a couple of Blookets just in case and learned that the kids in my math group love Blooket. Based upon their feedback, I decided to do more computer activities because they are older and are more interested in using the computer to learn.
Now as I complete my lesson plans, it has become easier because now I know what students enjoy and how they learn best. I am still trying to find and bring in new resources for them to try, but with both groups I have found some of the general resources and materials that make them excited to come to my class.

This summer finds me interning at Diva Crows, a small songbird rehabilitation organization located in Alexandria, Virginia. I’m going to use this post to share a typical day for me as an intern with this organization.
My day usually starts at around 11 AM, though sometimes I come in earlier to help when there is no one available in the early morning to feed the babies…birds that is! There is always one other intern there with me in the morning, and we begin by cleaning all of the cages and feeding any hatchlings, nestlings, or juveniles that we have in the bird room currently. We use doggy pee pads in all of our cages so they’re pretty quick and easy to change out. Once all of that is done we start with feeding.
Birds require a lot of food prep, so we set out dishes for every cage and go down the line adding each ingredient. We have a nutritional guide that we work from for all our birds. For example, a juvenile blue jay will get safflower and sunflower seeds, peanuts or other nutmeats, chopped-up fruit, softened dog kibble, insects (usually mealworms), and crushed suet. This is supplemented with calcium powder.
While that food is being prepared, one of us will begin to do the same care for our educational birds. We have seven birds that live in a separate building from our rehab birds that are essential partners in our educational programs. These birds are not releasable due to injury or other medical conditions, so they are permanent residents at the facility. Once we’re done with that, we usually have to feed the babies again. Hatchlings and nestlings get fed every 45 minutes, and juveniles every hour. Juveniles and adults are the only ones to get food put out in dishes, everyone else is fed using syringes and a special homemade formula or using tongs.
Once all of this work is done, one of us will prep food for our educational birds. While this is happening, I’ll usually start cleaning, and this is when our director, Katherine, typically arrives.
Sometimes we’ll have new birds that will need to be examined and processed. We usually receive them via calls from private citizens or we’ll get in overflow from another private rehabilitator or the Wildlife Rescue League. One of us will look over each individual bird as another starts the paperwork. We write down their species, the name of the person or organization that found them, and where they were found, which is important for release later.
Then we’ll note what caused them to be taken in. This can range from being orphaned, to injury, and or showing signs of mental problems (which we refer to as ‘neuro’). If there are multiple birds of the same species going into the same cage, we will put a colored band around their leg in order to more easily identify them for weight tracking, which will also get noted on the sheet. Once all of this is done the bird is placed into a sanitized cage with their sheet posted on the outside for easy notetaking.
The rest of our day is spent cleaning, organizing, and feeding the birds. We will also flight test and release those that are ready around this time. Just recently I got to release an adult crow that had been caught in a glue trap, which was very satisfying for me as I had a large role in its recovery. All birds are released back in or around the area where they were found. We end our day at around 3pm and everything gets handed off to either Katherine or the other staff.

I knew I would have to do an internship for my degree program, but I had no clue what I wanted to do and where to find opportunities. Throughout this past spring semester, I applied for numerous internships on Handshake, a site similar to LinkedIn. Handshake is a great career site because employers are on the site to exclusively hire college students for jobs and internships. Handshake lets you post your classes, extracurriculars, projects, skills, and even a copy of your resume for employers to see. It also allows you to apply for these job and internships right through the site.
I interviewed for a few different opportunities, but after I applied for my current position (as the Maintenance Facility Intern) with the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, my now-supervisor messaged me back fairly quickly. I did two interviews: a phone interview and one in person. I was offered the opportunity shortly after this and was excited to get started.
When most people think of jobs within the National Park Service, they tend to think of park rangers. However, this is not what I’ve been doing. I’m interning with the maintenance department of the park service, more specifically, within the business side of the maintenance department. We are in charge of putting together reports and project proposals to ensure the overall upkeep of the parks and their buildings. This work is more business and administrative and is in an office setting the majority of the time. Staff does go out to the different parks, but they are not at the parks all the time like a park ranger.
Most of my responsibilities consist of administrative work. This consists of filing, sending out email, and taking notes during meetings. I have been given bigger projects as well like being in charge of chemical inventory and making emergency evacuation plans for all the park’s visitor centers. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks include Chancellorsville, Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg Battlefield, as well as a few other minor sites. I’ve had to go out to these sites pretty frequently to ensure the accuracy of my evacuation plans and for any other tasks I have been given.
I’ve also learned a lot about how the National Park Service works to help communities across the United States to preserve and enhance local heritage and recreational opportunities. One day we had a little free time, and my supervisor took me to Ellwood’s Manor. I had never been here before; it is most famously known for Stonewall Jackson’s arm being buried there. We took the tour of the house that is offered by local volunteers. I’ve learned a lot about the local history that surrounds us in the Fredericksburg area, and it’s been really fun.
I’ve been very fortunate to be in this position. The work environment has been terrific with a strong emphasis on teamwork. Everyone I’ve worked with has been extremely kind and helpful. This has been a very positive learning experience and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Park Service so far.

My internship is working on the campaign for Abigail Spanberger’s reelection to Congress in 2022. Being a political science major, I wanted to find an internship in which I would engage in politics and meet politicians. This particular internship was mentioned by one of my professors and I jumped on the opportunity to apply for a position that was not only close to the University of Mary Washington and home, but it was also for a local female politician. Once I knew I was accepted into the internship I was ecstatic knowing that I would be working and helping with a campaign. Within my first two weeks, I was able to meet Abigail at an office opening party and I knew from that moment that I had made the right decision to intern for this campaign. She is a coalition builder, she is qualified, she is willingly to work nonpartisan to accomplish important tasks and she is a “regular person” who is there for her constituents.

Within this internship, I am finally able to apply the knowledge that I have learned from my political science courses at the University of Mary Washington. The classes I have taken thus far have prepared me well for some of the information that is discussed daily in a campaign office. I am learning how to educate voters on congressional redistricting because of the Census. I am also learning how to advocate to voters that Abigail Spanberger is the right choice for them and their community. I, however, have had to learn how to communicate with individuals who have different political ideals which I have done much of thus far.

This internship is a great steppingstone for potentially acquiring a job in the political arena. It has prepared and taught me about communication, teamwork, dedication and hard work. I do hope that all of the campaign collaboration pays off this November with Abigail Spanberger securing her seat in Congress once more!

Interning abroad was not my first choice. Before the pandemic struck, I dreamed of studying abroad in Spain. I had seen pictures of the Universidad de Deusto, in all its neoclassical glory seated by the sparkling estuary that divides Bilbao neatly in half. My mind conjured images of taking notes in lecture halls with vaulted ceilings, interacting with the quirky yet fashionable student populace, and roaming the nearby city streets.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere: Covid. My hopes of studying abroad suffocated within the dusty, cramped walls of my house during those interminable months of lockdown.

Without me noticing it, two years of my life flew by. Suddenly, I had not only survived the first brutal waves of the pandemic, but I was also graduating from college. With graduation came the immediate onset of Real Life, ready to bludgeon me over the head with the pressures of finding a non-retail job and the crushing realization that I had squandered the past two years. I resigned myself to the fact that I would begin my adulthood immediately and without any fanfare. Graduation, at first, was not a celebration of my achievements but more akin to a funeral of what could have been.
My mindset started to change when I was informed that I could, in fact, still go abroad post-grad. Since the pandemic had calmed down, the program was restarting and there was still time for me to apply. One of the options was a Business Internship Program, where I would be supervised by the Universidad de Deusto, and be working with a local company. It was honestly the best of both worlds: I could begin my life as an adult, gaining valuable experience in a real workplace while also learning valuable skills. I would be graduated by the time I went over, so I saw no point in signing up for classes. The skills I needed to develop could not be taught in a lecture; I needed to learn them through a hands-on experience.

In May, I travelled alone to Bilbao. The trip over was a nightmare, but I adjusted quickly once I finally got there. Before arriving, my internship description was incredibly vague. The only information I received was the company’s legal title and that I would work with international students. This, of course, did nothing to lessen my anxiety before going getting on the pan. All I could do was immerse myself in Spanish and brace myself for whatever the next two months would bring.
Several weeks later, I can finally tell you what I actually do. I intern at Happy Erasmus Bilbao, which is essentially a travel agency and event organizer for Erasmus students. For those unaware of what Erasmus is, like I was, it is a scholarship given to students within the European Union that allows them to study in any country within any nation belonging to the EU. While the company’s title implies that only Erasmus students can join, I am pretty sure that the membership is open to any international, or national, student. At its core, the company aims to connect both international and local students with each other while providing opportunities to explore Spain. The company frequently hosts parties, hikes, and trips within Spain and abroad.

My job has primarily focused on translating blog posts advertising these trips, as well as creating the content itself. Initially, I only translated Spanish blog posts to English. Now, my work includes researching the future trip locations and creating blog posts describing the area in a way that would appeal to college students. It has given me a lot of creative freedom, as well as extensive practice with Spanish. My Spanish has significantly improved since starting my internship, as I am required to speak it with my bosses most of the time.
I have also met people from across Europe. It has been an incredible experience just being able to interact with them and share different aspects of their culture. One of the more interesting things I have learned is the similarities and differences between American culture and the different cultures of Europe. For example, Northern Europe and American social customs are quite similar.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work abroad. Not only have I gained invaluable workplace skills, but I have also come into my own socially. I have grown so much during the past two months that I almost feel like a different person than when I left. Even though it wasn’t originally what I had planned, I would not change my experience at all.

It’s always a good time when you are staring at a blank screen, wondering where to start. You got your resume written, revised it multiple times and finally polished it to the point of perfection. You felt really, really good about that… for about two minutes. Then you realized: The Cover Letter. A new mountain to climb, a new writing style to master.  Forget it, you think, I’ll check Tik Tok instead…

Not so fast! You are going to have to come to grips with writing a cover letter sooner or later.  It had might as well be sooner, right?  And since a picture (or an example) is worth a thousand words, I’ve provided one, below.  And because this whole cover letter writing business is so miserable to start with, I’ve taken a little artistic liberty and gone to Hollywood to craft this sample because if writing a cover letter is low on the fun quotient, at least learning about it had might as well be sort of amusing. As always, the Career Center is here to help you with cover letter critiques via phone, Zoom or email.

22 Your Street

Los Angeles, CA 22222

March 4, 20–

Ms. Chrissy Teigan

Lifestyle Guru/Actor

11 Hollywood Ave

Hollywood, CA  11111

Dear Ms. Teigan:

While chatting recently with Lydia Johnson, nanny to Tyra Banks’ son, York, I learned that you are seeking a new nanny for your two children  Knowing of my extensive background caring for children from the newborn stage up through the teen years, Lydia thought that I would be perfect for this position.  My current employer, Gwyneth Paltrow, has decided that Apple and Moses won’t need a nanny by this fall, and thus I was thrilled to hear of this opening in your household.

Lydia tells me that you are looking for an energetic, active nanny who preferably is fluent in Spanish and English. As an avid runner and yoga student since my days at the University of Mary Washington, I am fit and active; ready to keep up with Luna and Miles.  My undergraduate minor in Spanish and time spent helping Apple and Moses with their homework (up through middle school they attended an immersion program intended to foster fluency in Spanish) mean that I am near-fluent in Spanish. I also took some trips to South and Central America while working for Ms. Paltrow, where I became very familiar with Latino culture and customs.

Before holding this job, I was employed for three years by Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott. In that time Ms. Spelling had two babies and thus I am also very familiar and comfortable caring for infants and toddlers.  I know that you and Mr. Legend travel a good bit for work and understand that you like to bring your children along as much as possible. I am familiar with the ups and downs of travelling with children and have excellent abilities in terms of being flexible to your requirements while also meeting their needs and keeping their routine as consistent as possible.

Attached is a copy of my resume with more details on my professional childcare background. I look forward to hearing back from you and hope that we can meet soon for an interview.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Smith

Gabrielle Smith

Note: This letter incorporates a contact name and some implied relationship. Apparently, Lydia knows Ms. Teigan (or at any rate knows her current nanny) and has the inside scoop on her childcare opening. She is providing an indirect referral of the applicant by sharing this information. Any time you have a referral be sure to mention the person’s name in the very first paragraph (if not the first sentence) of your cover letter. (To be on the safe side, clear this with them before you write the letter, though).  This use of a familiar name will establish a connection between you and the prospective employer that might otherwise not exist and will help to make your letter stand out from the rest.

Disclaimer:  All the above is fictional except for the names of the characters. And, in case you are wondering, I agree, Chrissy Teigan no doubt has an assistant vet the applications for a nanny position. So let’s assume this one made the first cut and is being considered by the star herself, in some alternate universe. Good luck, Gabrielle!

Mary Becelia, Career Coach

Let’s do this thing. Let’s accomplish something tangible today. My plan? To finish this blog post. My hope for you? To read it and write a good solid first draft of your resume. Here goes!

First, why do you need a resume? Because employers expect it. Enough said. But if you want more data, here’s some more information

Second, should you use a template? Probably not. Why not, you ask? This sums up my thinking

Now, to commence! I recommend that you now read over the section on the CCPD website devoted to resume writing. This will give you the information you need to start writing or updating your resume. Be sure to also look at the sample resumes we’ve provided as well. There’s nothing like a good, solid example to help you decide how you want to format your resume.

Once you have a rough draft, you want to put it aside for a day or two and then review it with a fresh eye. Look for typos, of course, but also read over the entire thing. Is the language consistent? Are there lots of strong action verbs to describe what you accomplished and contributed? Is it attractive and easy to read?

If you can say yes to all the above, as well as to the other recommendations shared on the CCPD site shared above, I recommend that you have one of the CCPD coaches review your resume next. This can be done via an appointment (phone/Zoom or email) and you can set up the appointment on Handshake.

There you have it! That wasn’t so bad, was it? Check “Resume” off your list and next week we’ll be back at you with some quick and easy tips for writing strong cover letters.

Mary Becelia, Career Coach

With apologies to Margaret Wise Brown…

In the bunker where you work

There was a phone

And a headset

And a picture of your friends

And there were three little snacks brought by your mom

And a laptop all charged up

And an energy drink and the number for your shrink

And random roll of TP

And a bowl full of chips

And your inner voice, whispering, Study

Good luck on exams, good luck on papers

Good luck on reports, good luck getting a little sleep

Good luck with achieving your dreams

Good luck with the future*

Good luck to each and every Eagle…good luck to YOU!

*PSA: The Career Center is here to help you even after graduation! All our services are free to you and we will be operating from our bunkers, available via email, phone and Zoom!

Mary Becelia, Career Coach

I was scrolling through LinkedIn earlier today, thinking maybe I’d find inspiration for this week’s “Chat.” It didn’t take long. I saw a post from motivational speaker, Sarah Cary and the lightbulb went off. Her post was about a book I read many years ago and was pretty sure I still owned. I ran upstairs and scanned my bookshelf. Sure enough, there it was: Dale Carnegie’s best seller, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Could there be a better title for this Covid spring?

When we worry, our minds jump here and there…and we lost all power of decision. However, when we force ourselves to face the worst and accept it, we then eliminate all these vague imaginings and put ourselves in a position in which we are able to concentrate on our problem.

-Dale Carnegie

Back in January if anyone had told you that we’d be living through a worldwide pandemic, that school and many businesses would be suspended, that we’d all be hunkered down in our houses, rationing our toilet paper for crying out loud … well that would have sounded pretty close to “the worst” thing you could imagine, right? Yet every day you get up and get through the day. You maybe even accomplish a few things. Some of you are going to be graduating within a few short weeks, despite the current circumstances! You are getting through this!

But. If you’re obsessed with worrying, you become paralyzed. Instead of taking action toward your goals, you fret and fulminate. You scroll your phone for hours, losing track of time, or lose sleep at night, staring up at the ceiling, leading to an unproductive day. Basically, you’re stuck in a rut, bogged down by your concerns. And I know, despite my (sincere) happy talk in the paragraph above, that we all have valid concerns these days. I am by no means disputing that fact! However, worrying about the future isn’t going to change or even remotely improve it.

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.

-Montaigne

As I leafed through my copy of How to Stop Worrying… and saw the many passages I’d underlined back in the day, it started to come back to me: my mood when I first read it. I was in graduate school, working on my M.Ed. Most of my friends were getting engaged or well into establishing their careers, or both. Meanwhile, I was 24 years old, racking up student debt, living in a dark basement apartment, sleeping on a futon, and trying to ignore the fact that the country was in the middle of a recession. In fact, I graduated into what was called a “jobless recovery” which was about as un-fun as it sounds.

Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.

-Thomas Carlyle

I needed this book at that time, and I need it again now. I can look back at 1991 with the benefit of hindsight and smile at the struggles I went through before I ended up working for two years at the Career Center at Vassar College. The information interviews I conducted, the cover letters I wrote, the resume I tweaked over and over and over; it all paid off (eventually). But I don’t think I was doing a whole lot of smiling when it was happening, I was obsessed: searching for job openings, tailoring my cover letters to each one, reaching out to friends and faculty in my program for support. And sometimes that’s just what you have to do. You follow all the old sayings: put one foot in front of the other, take it one day at a time, put your own oxygen mask on first etc. Those sayings may be clichéd, but they became clichés because they hold nuggets of truth that have been passed down for so long that they are considered obvious. But sometimes we need reminding of the obvious. Some days just getting up, getting dressed, and sending out a few emails is a victory. In the next few days, I think I’ll be visiting more in-depth with Mr. Carnegie, and trying to live out some of what I’ve written about here. And I’ll remember this whenever the worry starts to consume me:

Concern means realizing what the problems are and calmly taking steps to meet them. Worry means going around in maddening, futile circles.

-Dale Carnegie

– Mary Becelia, Career Coach