Women’s prison internship allows student to help others

This is a guest blog from Elyssa Buck, Saint Mary-0f-the-Woods student and intern at the Rockville Correctional Facility.

When a student completes an internship, they will learn more about themselves and the career they pursue than they would only having classroom experience. I experienced this firsthand at my internship at the Rockville Correctional Facility, a women’s prison.

My site supervisor was the Re-Entry/Transition Program Coordinator within the facility, who teaches the offenders how to be successful once they reenter society. She teaches a four-week course the offenders must complete upon their release. The class includes employment and housing information, as well as how to stay free from substance abuse and become financially stable. In order for the offenders to successfully complete the goals set for them within the course, my site supervisor also completes all of the necessary paperwork and keeps copies of their identification information. I was unaware there was so much responsibility within her position, but it is also full of rewarding accomplishments.

As part of my internship, I got to teach a class within my site supervisor’s course. My presentation focused on ways women can be successful after their release and not be re-incarcerated. While much of the information seems simple, it is a difficult feat that some of these women have no idea how to overcome. We must teach them the necessary skills and hope that they will take those skills to grow into a better person. I have never led a class discussion in this type of setting before, so it was something I looked forward to.

The most difficult challenge I faced within my internship was overcoming the fact that not every offender is going to change their ways. The job can be frustrating when you hand them everything they need to be successful and they end up back in prison. Overcoming that challenge made me grow personally and professionally. I learned to not let myself get upset over things that I have no control over, such as what the women decide to do once they are released from prison. I have taken this advice and applied it to my everyday life and it reduced a lot of my stress. Learning this has been one of the best aspects of my internship.

This internship taught me to portray myself as a professional within a work setting. You may learn how to be professional in class, but it is completely different when you finally gain the opportunity to put that knowledge to good use. The greatest part of this opportunity was knowing that I helped women’s lives. Not everyone may take what you have to say to heart, but some do, and knowing that you have helped them is a fantastic feeling. This internship has confirmed my career goals of being a substance abuse counselor. Helping people is something that I have always greatly enjoyed.

The benefits of interning are endless. What you put into an internship determines what you get out of it, and provides a great way to learn about your career path. My time at the Rockville Correctional Facility showed me exactly that.