I got to spend a summer doing interesting research in a really supportive environment.  Opportunities are out there waiting for you to take advantage of them. Do it!

Major: Gender and Women’s Studies

Internship Site: The Leadership Alliance at Brown University

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Title: Research Intern and Mellon Scholar

Position Description: I receive hands-on experience researching under Drs. Susan Short and Nancy Luke at Brown University in the Population Studies Training Center.  My project is to discover how many children are affected by the AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa by determining the number of youth growing up in a household with at least one HIV-positive adult.  I will conclude my internship by presenting my findings at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium.

What are the benefits of participating in an internship, co-op, service-learning or research experience?

It is absolutely the new skill sets I learned.  I have become familiarized with data analysis software, proposal writing, and even the GRE. I have been shown how to apply to graduate school, how to network, and how to present research successfully.  Now I have a competitive resume for my post-graduation plans.