This guest post was written by Kaitlin Owings, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods student. Owings reflects on the challenges and exciting moments during her internship in a college admissions office.
When many college students think about future internship possibilities, large companies in “Corporate America” seem to come to mind. However, when I thought of doing an internship in a higher education office, I thought of no better place than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, my home at heart.
The Office of Admission at SMWC accomplishes many tasks throughout the year. One would think that the function of this office is simple because their main goal is to either admit or decline prospective student applications. While this may be their main task, how they get to this point is complicated and requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Recruiting these prospective students takes a considerable amount of time and energy to travel to various high schools and college fairs for months at a time. The office also holds various events throughout the year for prospective students to attend to gain more information about SMWC and what the college has to offer. They are also responsible for the Admission Ambassadors, a group of SMWC students who assist higher education personnel.
I was able to accomplish many tasks through my internship experience. I was able to work side by side with Admission Ambassadors and Counselors, prospective students and parents, and SMWC alums to promote the college effectively. I was given the responsibility of setting up individual campus visits, interview for open Ambassadors’ positions, and attend local college fairs and high schools to educate prospective students about SMWC.
Through my internship experience, I was able to learn what it takes to be a successful student affairs professional and what professionals look for in potential candidates. Furthermore, I was able to take my professionalism to the next level with the advice and guidance from many of my colleagues. Being able to grow both professionally and as an individual was one of the best parts about my experience in the Office of Admission at SMWC. The absolute greatest moment about my internship was a memory that I will never forget — a memory of me personally congratulating a prospective student of her acceptance into the college while giving her the acceptance certificate and packet.
Though the my internship experience was one I will treasure forever, there were also challenges that I had to face. I had to learn quickly how to speak in context while serving at my internship. My role from student to intern changed within a matter of minutes and I needed to be able to communicate effectively with my peers while working in the Admission Office. The interviews that I had conducted with my peers were probably the most challenging because I had to keep myself in a professional role and remember to not to intertwine it with my social life. However, this challenge allowed me to grow and be a better intern to those that I serve in the future.
During my internship, I was able to confirm my decision in continuing my education in the area of higher education. For future interns, I would say that the Office of Admission at SMWC will definitely give you the experience you need in order to confirm this type of life-changing decision. If you are looking for an internship in higher education and are not quite sure where to look, the Office of Admission at SMWC is a great place to consider!
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