Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships. Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability, develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.
Many students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet:
Emma Lentz
Emma Lentz
She is: a senior from Marlette, studying Social Work.
Emma’s Internship/Making a Difference: is with the Community Mental Health of Central Michigan office in Mount Pleasant. “I am learning how to best support individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, along with developmental disabilities. I am making a difference by growing in my professional ability so that I can better serve the communities where I hope to work, one day.”
How Ferris Helped Emma Gain Her Internship: “Through coursework as part of the Bachelor of Social Work program. The preparatory course is taken the semester before the internship and assists social work students with creating professional resumes, cover letters, and outreach to potential agencies. Seminar courses are taken during the internship placement and allow social work students to discuss any concerns or accomplishments during the field placement with a Social Work professor. Field liaisons meet with the student and the internship supervisor twice a semester to offer feedback, advice, and support.”
Future Plans: “I hope to pursue a Master of Social Work to help me better support underserved populations. I hope this internship helps me build necessary social work skills, gain meaningful professional connections, and enhance my professional confidence.”
Advice For Fellow Students Seeking Internships: “Internships are essential for building professional skills. While classwork is vital for some growth areas, nothing can prepare you better for the ‘real world’ of your careers than the real-world experience.”
Other Campus Activities: “I am involved in the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance.”
Ferris Core Value Emma Relates to: Diversity. “I believe that diversity enhances the goal of the Social Work profession as a whole,
as well as the goals within myself. Respecting an individual’s dignity and inherent
worth and promoting acceptance is of the utmost importance. Practicing diversity within
our personal and professional lives could improve this world.”
MEET THE INTERNS HOMEPAGE