It’s spring semester at UVA, and it seems everyone has one thing on his or her mind: internships. Whether an internship is paid, unpaid, summer or year round, it’s a great way to get real world experience. If you know anything about internships, though, you know that these positions are limited and really competitive. You could have a stellar GPA, awesome references, and hold a number of leadership roles on Grounds and still find yourself in intense competition for any internship. With internships this intense, why would anyone accept one that wasn’t crazy fun with super rewarding opportunities? If this criteria is describes what you are looking for, then search no further and check out the Women’s Center internship program! These year-long internships are a chance to take part in real social change on Grounds and provide participants with valuable opportunities to get involved at UVA. If you still aren’t convinced, here are 5 reasons to apply to the Women’s Center internship program for the 2017-2018 school year.
1. There are NINE Awesome programs!
These programs include so many different areas of interest, including Body Positive, Gender Violence and Social Change, and the Legal Clinic. Of course there is my particular favorite, the Iris magazine internship, but I have an obvious bias. These internships also have extremely helpful advisors who work personally with you to get the most out of your internship experience. You also work with a team of other interns who are just as determined and driven to spark social change on Grounds. These internships aren’t just limited to women. Men are also encouraged to apply, especially to the Young Men’s Leadership Project. Whatever you are interested in, there is bound to be an internship program that suits you!
2. The people are passionate!
Everyone at the Women’s Center believes in creating significant social change on Grounds. Passion is in no shortage at the Women’s Center, and this passion creates motivation in each of the internship teams. The Iris internship team is always fired up, ready to reach the UVA community through insightful articles about causes that each intern sincerely believes in. The Body Positive team works tirelessly to bring awareness to body image issues faced by men and women on Grounds, while the Young Women’s Leadership program does an awesome job of providing mentorship opportunities for girls in the greater Charlottesville community. Whatever program you choose, there is sure to be a group of students willing and ready to make their mark on both the UVA community and the city of Charlottesville as a whole.
3. The work is truly meaningful.
I love being able to write about topics that I have a passion for, and I always feel like I am getting more out of it with each article. I can guarantee you that every internship team feels the same way. The Women’s Center is a place created to serve the students of UVA, and the internship teams help make these services more accessible to everyone. It’s work that has merit and makes a difference not only in the lives of UVA students, but also in the lives of men and women all over Charlottesville.
4. The people are crazy talented and super helpful!
The interns, the advisors, and the employees at the Women’s Center are some of the best people I have met at UVA. Of course we all have similar interests, but our differences are what make the experiences we have so unique. I love hearing from the other interns on my team, about what topics are close to their hearts and what they enjoy most about writing. I also get great advice from my intern advisors and from the other interns. You also have the opportunity to meet interns from the other programs as well, making the Women’s Center feel like a real community.
5. The application is EASY!
Seriously. All you need to do is answer a short answer questions and upload your resume and references. That’s it! You don’t need to describe yourself as a vegetable or talk about your favorite method of transportation. No, all the questions are pertinent to the internship and you can apply to as many of the programs that you wish to! The applications are due March 1, so get on them!
