By: Sean Nasi, DePaul University digital cinema major ’15
DePaul Diaries is a day-in-the-life blog series written by DePaul students. The series unveils DePaulians’ experiences as interns in their field of choice. Students share their honest thoughts about their experiences, what they learned as an intern and advice for students who are interested in the same field.
Most internship opportunities only last a few months to a year, but Danielle Rossi, DePaul history major, has been an intern at the Chicago Public School’s Office of Early Childhood Education for seventeen months and is still going strong. Danielle initially found the position through personal networking, but has come away with some great professional experiences.
“[At CPS] I have learned valuable collaborative skills from working on teams for different projects, but also, I have learned professional independence in order to get certain aspects of our project done and apply that to the larger group focus,” Danielle said.
Throughout her internship, Danielle has been charged with updating and monitoring the assessment site used by CPS preschool teachers, as well as assisting with enrollment and technical issues. Being a part of CPS and working to positively affect so many members of the community was Danielle’s favorite aspect of her job.
“We are one of the largest employers in the city and the third largest public school district. Our work impacts thousands of students,” Danielle said. “It is fulfilling to know that we are working to create a successful and safe learning environment for all children of Chicago.”
Danielle also loved the culture and environment of the education sector. The Office of Early Childhood Education celebrates all individual and departmental accomplishments, no matter how small.
Danielle also loved the culture and environment of the education sector.
“In my department, we are very much like a family,” Danielle said. Like most industries, academia places high value on teamwork, collaboration, and building professional relationships. As Danielle expressed, “everyone is willing to help each other out, whether it is to get the answer [to] a question or [to] prepare for our huge three day summer institute.” This positive atmosphere is only one of the reasons why Danielle has had such a successful internship experience.
Danielle believes that an internship can offer a great opportunity for students of all interest levels and majors, not just a select few.
“Don’t be afraid to take a dive into an internship you are not sure if you will like. That is the point of internships,” Danielle said. Danielle proves that with a positive attitude and an open mind, interns will expose themselves to a variety of worthwhile experiences and potential opportunities.
Want to learn about DePaul’s University Internship Program? Check it out, here, or send inquiries to UIP@depaul.edu. Need help finding an internship? Visit depaul.joinhandshake.com, or come into DePaul’s Career Center to meet with an advisor.