This is a guest blog by Katheryn Bullock, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods student and intern at the Sullivan Police Station.
I am currently interning with the Sullivan Police Station and could not have asked to be placed in a better internship. I have had nothing but a great experience there and would recommend this internship to students.
Going into this internship I had no idea what to expect because I have never worked with police officers. I have also appreciated police officers because of what they try and do to keep society safe from danger. There is no better way of knowing what goes into the daily life of an officer than by riding along with one. A couple times a week I go down to the station and do ride-alongs to gain first-hand experience.
I like to work hands-on to fully understand the concept of something, so my internship gave me the knowledge that a textbook could not. I’ve learned traffic signs, road rules and how to write a ticket. In addition, I now have more confidence in myself, and made connections for future career possibilities. In the beginning I was nervous because law enforcement is a male-dominated field, but as time went on I made friendships and could joke with the guys. I was able to ask questions without feeling embarrassed.
The pace of my police station internship was exciting. I went on ride alongs to search for a missing girl and for a man with a warrant. I’ve helped pull people over, and I went to a carnival and worked the police station’s dunking booth. I have been able to do a variety of different tasks and have learned so much.
My time at the Sullivan Police Station is coming to an end, and even though I appreciate so much what police officers do, I’ve realized that I do not see myself in their line of work. This does not mean that this was a bad internship, in fact, through this experience I was able to open my eyes to what environment I want to work in. An internship gives you real life experience that sitting in class does not and provides connections to take with you for years to come.
