Her daily schedule includes computer programming and upper
division psychology classes, volunteering with the Chicanos for
Community Medicine, and preparing for the MCAT.
But third-year psychology student Elizabeth Barrera somehow also
finds the time to intern at a local high school.
“I get up every day at 7 a.m. even though I do not have
class until 11 (a.m.), so that I can get everything done,”
Barrera said.
For eight hours per week, Barrera interns as a math and science
tutor for 11th and 12th grade foster children at Dorsey High School
in Los Angeles.
“Time is not being taken from me; it is being used the way
it should be,” she said.
Barrera’s internship enables her to encourage students in
their studies and perhaps continue their education at a university.
She is also boosting her resume for when she applies to medical
school.
Many full-time students are interning to test out careers, gain
work experience, and acquire skills that will help their future
professional pursuits.
Some pursue community service internships, such as the one
Barrera participates in. These internships allow students to get
out into the community to do “something positive,” said
Jeff Fung, a fourth-year sociology student who serves as a college
adviser at several local high schools, including Dorsey.
“It is a reciprocal relationship,” Fung said,
describing how he reaps rewards while helping others.
“Going to work in the community taught me to be more
reflective about my educational experience,” he added.
Dina Farshidi, a second-year undeclared student who interns for
Community Outreach and Prevention Education, also sees benefits
both for interns and those who receive their assistance.
Through COPE, Farshidi teaches children from low-income families
how to live healthy lives.
She recalled the children’s sadness when they learned
three of the five COPE project sites would be canceled this year
due to budget cuts. She said their reaction made it clear how much
her help is appreciated.
Farshidi receives great satisfaction knowing that the
instruction she provides in her internship is valued by children
“who have so little to look forward to,” she said.
“I will continue to work for nonprofits as long as I
can,” she added.
Kathy O’Byrne, the executive director at the Center for
Experiential Education and Service Learning, reiterated the
students’ common belief that it is of great value, and
perhaps a necessity, for university students to participate in an
internship, regardless of whether it is service-oriented.
“Internships are not only a process of career exploration
but a way to network and to get yourself launched when you
graduate,” O’Byrne said.
Regardless of a student’s major, an internship is a
“vital component” to finding employment or entering
graduate school, she said.
CEESL helps set students up with a variety of internships, from
working for Paramount Pictures to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium to
a local high school.
“Internships are available for all types of students,
tailored to an assortment of interests,” said David Brown, a
biology graduate student and CEESL coordinator.
This type of hands-on experience can be a “crucial
supplement” to students’ theoretical learning at UCLA,
he said.
Students can research internships at the UCLA Career Center,
which offers a variety of opportunities both within the United
States and abroad.