When I decided to come to HGSE I chose it for the academic program, a peer group I knew I would learn a ton from, and the opportunity to get the perspective of a different part of the country. I’ve gotten exactly what I was hoping for in that respect, but I’ve also gotten something else that I hadn’t realized I would: a fantastic internship experience.
I intern at MIT’s LBGT center, called the Rainbow Lounge, and I help create and put on programming for MIT’s LBGT and ally community.
It’s important to me because I don’t think I would get as much as do out of school if I wasn’t simultaneously working in the field. And when school gets overwhelming (which it certainly does,) the students I work with at my internship remind me of why I’m studying education. I’m also taking an internship seminar at HGSE, which gives me the space to be intentional about what I get out of my internship. It allows me too, the chance to learn from my peers’ experiences at their internships. For these reasons and more, my internship experience has been a highlight at my time at HGSE.
If you’ve applied to HGSE, I hope you’ll add internships to the list of opportunities to consider when deciding if you’ll come.
Jessica Perez is a Master’s of Education candidate in the Higher Education program. She is passionate about improving college access and completion for underrepresented student populations.
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