Korranda Harris

Professional Writing & English

Euell A. Wilson Center

How has your internship helped build skills and clarify your career goals?

My time as a Program Assistant with the Euell A. WIlson Center was extremely enlightening. I was allowed to try my hand at different aspects of communication, technical writing, and teaching. I now know that while I prefer working with other people as a team when it comes to teaching rather than going solo. I also realize that I am more computer savvy than I originally gave myself credit for. I am thankful that I have also been given experience in multi-level chains of command and communication. 

How do you apply your Liberal Arts skills in your internship?

I applied my skills in maintaining effective communication with my fellow interns, co-workers, and supervisors. I was primarily tasked with writing brochures and newsletters, so I was able to combine my technical writing experience with my computer-aided publishing courses. I was also assigned occasional tasks in which I had to perform primary research and create financial spreadsheets so I applied my skills there as well.

Describe your typical day as an intern.  

A typical day at my internship would be to check in with my co-interns and supervisors to debrief for the day and find out how the day would go. I would open the rooms for recreation for the children that would begin to come in around 8:30 and open the computer room. I would round up the kids for Study Island, an educational computer-based program. While they were doing that I would begin New Horizons, an art class for middle-school kids that were not in the Study Island program. After that was completed, we ate lunch then we would begin some more open rec, whether that meant gym time, going to the park or a field trip. At the end of the day, I would begin my technical writing duties like drafting the Center's brochure or updating the website.

What was the most challenging aspect of your internship?  

The most challenging aspect was balancing my more clerical duties with supervising and engaging with the kids at the Center.

What was the most exciting thing about your role? 

The most exciting part about my role was the New Horizons art class that allowed me to work more closely with my group and engage with them on a more personal level.

What surprised you most about your internship? 

The most surprising thing to me was how different it was, being a part of the staff of the Center compared to my time as a charge there!

Describe the most meaningful experience you had as an intern.

The most meaningful experience I had was when I could go into the computer room and help the kids with Study Island because I know just how important retaining knowledge throughout the summer is. And it can be very difficult for children to appreciate that, so being able to help them was amazing.

How did you learn about your internship?

I attended the Euell A. Wilson Center as a child and I kept in touch with the founder.

Did you meet with the Liberal Arts Career Center prior to applying for this internship? What kind of assistance did you receive?

I did meet with them for career advice. I receive a ton of help and encouragement from the staff there and I greatly appreciate it.