Olyvia Kennedy, English major
Where is your summer internship, and what is your title?
I'm a research assistant for George Mason University OSCAR.
What are your main responsibilities on the job?
This summer, I am conducting library research and field research regarding the recruitment and retention of teachers in the state of Virginia. Day-to-day, I am searching for relevant publications, identifying different key terms or ideas used across the literature, and coding the findings into a database that will be used to construct our findings. I work closely with GMU faculty and other undergraduate students as we collaborate to identify and define different factors that contribute to the recruitment and retention of a diverse teacher workforce within our state.
What do you enjoy most about your summer internship?
I enjoy getting to implement researching, theorizing, and analyzing skills that are so heavily emphasized in the English department within the workplace, especially because the research study we are conducting is important in ensuring the needs of future educators are met. I also enjoy getting to collaborate with my peers from different majors and backgrounds than my own!
How did you find your internship?
I found this internship via Mason’s career resource, Handshake. This is a site I use for both events on campus and career development, and I absolutely recommend it to students looking for internships, professional development, and work experience!
What is the most valuable lesson you learned as an intern?
As an intern, the most valuable lesson I have learned as an intern is the importance of collaboration. When completing day-to-day tasks such as filling out our databases or synthesizing research, I rely heavily on collaborating with my peers in order to complete our research in the best way possible.
What advice would you give CHSS students about getting the most out of their internship?
When it comes to getting the most out of an internship, my advice is to pursue a role that involves something you are passionate about. In my own role, I am researching diverse teacher recruitment and retention, which ties back to my own passions about educational policy and accessibility. When working on a project that you care about, it makes the work more fun!
July 23, 2024