How Internships Fill an Education Gap Students Need
Illustration by Breanna Newburn
Article by Lea Olivares Raudes
NEWBERG, Ore. –Crossing between the classroom and the real world is a tricky endeavor. One way George Fox University (GFU) makes this transition smoother is by implementing required internship experience for a vast amount of majors.
The Communications major, for example, requires a minimum of three internship credits to graduate, which is equivalent to 90 hours of experience. Internships are a thorough process that include advisor meetings and extensive reflection.
The English department works in a similar manner. Senior Jordyn Relethford, an English major at GFU, is finalizing her major’s internship requirement this semester. While working on a team that produces sports recaps for GFU’s athletics page, she is able to apply her in-class knowledge to a work environment.
“I love the firsthand experience and that your work actually gets published somewhere,” says Relethford. She also speaks on how her internship experience has helped her discover plans for her future career.
“This [job] has really broadened my horizons career-wise,” says Relethford. “I realized that Nike has a whole team dedicated to doing pretty much something very similar to what I do [now]. Knowing that I have that experience makes me feel more secure.”
Anxiety is common amongst students regarding the practicality of their major. STEM majors tend to give you a clear path to follow but do not allow for much flexibility. Humanities majors tend to have a wider range of jobs but their flexibility and demand is different.
Relethford found optimism and certainty in knowing there is a stable career field that she can enter post-graduation. Internships not only give students direction outside of the classroom but introduce class concepts into the workspace.
“Antonio [Arrendondo], my boss, will give us a lesson in the same thing that we’re talking about in class like that same week,” says Relethford. “We get to practice those skills that we learned in class in a way that is going out somewhere for people to see.”
Internships let students see their classwork pay off and offer life experience in a way that can be overlooked when students only focus on the classroom. They also are able to teach skills that might not be taught in a classroom setting.
“Taking away that feedback and criticism is an opportunity for growth…is huge for me,” says Relethford. “I was scared of criticism before. Now I feel almost desensitized to it and I can do it as a way to learn and get better.”
Relethford’s experience is just one example of what GFU students gain from internships. From molding class concepts into firsthand encounters to introducing students to the intimidating world of adulthood, this cornerstone of education is an effective way to prepare students for the future.
