Intern: Graciana Garcia
Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology B.S., Psychological Sciences, Sociology Minor
Semester of Internship: Fall 2018
Internship Site: Pascua Yaqui Tribal Building & Tempe School District
[[{"fid":"7687","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]] Give an overview of your site and what you did while interning there.
I’m a Student Advisor Intern for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe within the Tempe Union High School District. I primarily work with Native American students enrolled in the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. I interact with students on academic advisement, post-secondary goals, college admissions, and social services. I also assist in coordinating and participating in community events, such as parent workshops! We are the tribal representation on campus and the liaison between school and the community.
Why did you choose this site for your internship? Discuss how the site fits in with your career and/or academic goals.
The Pascua Yaqui tribe helped me apply for and obtain scholarships in high school and college. When I saw that they were accepting interns, I knew that I wanted to give back and become more involved with my cultural community. The internship director was very open to finding an intern position within the tribe that was a “perfect fit” for me. I was placed in the education department because I love working with children and adolescents. Through this internship, I have found out that I want to become a guidance counselor and look forward to obtaining my graduate degree in either social work or counseling.
What did you like most about working at your site? What activities/responsibilities did you enjoy and learn the most from?
In addition to working within the Tempe Union High School District, I also worked within the Tribal Building. I helped facilitate a program called “Go Grrrls” with middle school students, teaching them about positive body image, stereotypes the media portrays, pregnancy prevention, how to be assertive in tough situations and other similar topics. I also tutored different age groups ranging from 5 to 18. These were two of my favorite activities! They helped instill my desire to work with minority youth and I felt very fortunate to be able to be a part of these programs and my tribe.
What skills/knowledge did you gain at your internship that you will carry with you in your career path?
During my internship I exercised my leadership skills and how to be a compassionate adult when working with students. My supervisors often must deal with students who are failing multiple classes and act like they don’t care about their grades or going to college. My supervisors would often get to the root of the issue, never blaming the students for their grades and in turn, asking about how their lives are at home. At least in the case of Tribal students, many do not have reliable transportation, internet access or electronic devices at home, which make doing homework and attending study sessions more difficult.
Discuss your career goals and what your next steps are after you complete your Psychology degree.
I graduate in December and I am planning on jumping into a part time position with Rapport 1st, which is an up and coming company in Phoenix. Additionally, I hope that my tribe has a position available for me to continue to work within the community and with students! Hopefully, I will be going back to school in August to work on my master’s degree.
What advice can you give to other students interested in pursuing an internship?
If you’re interested in pursuing an internship use every opportunity to network. One of my current supervisors, is my old tribal Education Assistant Specialist when I was in high school. She became the tribal Education Outreach and Transition Specialist and offered me my internship position! I am also the tribe’s first ever intern, which is a phenomenal title!
My other piece of advice is to look at the internships listed on ASU’s website. If none of those catch your eye, then look at companies and institutions you’re interested in and contact them. Once they’re on board, reach out to our Psychology Department’s Internship Program Coordinator Tara Roy!