Internship Spotlight: Larissa Clark, ’17

Written by Larissa Clark

Larissa Clark, ’17, is a Political Economy major with a minor in Business Administration and is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. This summer, she interned at Young America’s Foundation.

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Where did you intern this summer and what was your position title?

I interned at the national headquarters of Young America’s Foundation (YAF). The office is located in Reston, Virginia, just outside of DC, but we held a lot of events downtown DC and were often on Capitol Hill. I was a “Sarah T. Hermann Intern Scholar,” and I was assigned specifically to the foundation’s development team.

Given your experience what are the top three takeaways you learned while interning?

1. Hard work and a willing spirit can take you anywhere.
   I was really intimidated going into my internship because I felt a lot less qualified than the other summer interns. I quickly learned, however, that you can have incredible talents, but if don’t put the work in, then those gifts are useless. As the saying goes, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” While you may not be naturally gifted in certain areas, that does not mean you are less qualified. Rather than letting fear cripple me, I focused on my strengths instead of worrying about my weaknesses. By doing so, I ended up having an incredibly successful internship.
2. A liberal arts education at Hillsdale is extremely valuable and directly translates into the work world.
   As Dr. Whalen says, our education at Hillsdale is “rich and full, as is your own intellectual nature.” Studying the liberal arts helped prepare me for whatever was thrown my way in my internship – be it having engaging conversations while networking at a gala or using my writing skills to create a powerful piece for the foundation’s blog. Ultimately, the internship helped me make the connection between the rigorous core curriculum I’ve been studying here at Hillsdale and the skills I have developed that can be used in the work world.
3. Networking is everything.
   I’m sure you’ve heard it said that everyone you meet knows something you don’t, but it’s also true that everyone you meet knows someone you don’t. This internship helped me see the importance of making connections with people. By building a network of people passionate about, and interested, in the same things, you invest in a valuable resource that will pay off in numerous ways down the road, especially when you begin looking for another internship or job.

How did you secure your internship?

Hillsdale’s numerous resources, including other students and Career Services, ultimately helped me secure my internship. Each company and organization looks different things when considering internship applications, and it can get really confusing. Career Services was an invaluable resource, helping me prepare my resume and cover letter in a way that best catered to an internship in the DC area. They also gave me helpful advice on which internships to apply for and how to best market my strengths. Another thing that really helped me was talking to students and getting advice and encouragement from them throughout the process.

Do you have any advice for student when looking for internships?

Just go for it! It’s never too early to get a jumpstart on the process. I know it can be daunting to think of applying for internships when it seems like you’re just barely making it through midterms and finals, but trust me, it’s so worth it!

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s an overwhelming process at times; however, if you use the resources on campus, it’s possible for everyone to secure an awesome summer internship.

And never forget, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. I’ll be honest, I applied for a lot of internships, and a lot of them turned me down. The key, however, was to not let that get me down. Looking back, this internship was the perfect fit––it just took a little bit of time to discover the right one for me.

What was your favorite part of the internship?

One of my favorite parts of the internship was when the foundation flew me out to their West Coast office in Santa Barbara, California. While there, I had the chance to get a private tour of the Reagan Ranch, Rancho del Cielo, and to go horseback riding on the same trails that President Reagan rode in the Santa Ynez Mountains. The experience was eye-opening, and from it I gained a profound appreciation for what made Reagan the humble, yet strong leader he was.

How will your internship experience serve you in your career search?

The internship pushed me to try things that I never would have done on my own, and because of it, I discovered a whole slew skills I never knew I had. Although I primarily worked in YAF’s development department, I still got the chance to experience a lot of other areas at the foundation. I coordinated alumni events, such as dinners and cocktail hours at various hotels in DC; I was tasked with doing a lot of design work and marketing for the Foundation; I even had the chance to do some public speaking, including introducing big-name speakers at conferences. A large part of the internship also consisted of recruiting for and planning educational programs, conferences, and seminars for students. All of these experiences helped me develop valuable skills that will be useful in any field of work.

This internship will also be a valuable reference for me in the future because I now know what to look for – and also what to avoid – as I continue my career search. For example, I loved learning the ins-and-outs of a non-profit organization. The internship helped me understand that I want a career that makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself. There were also parts of my internship that were a little more difficult, such as spending an entire day behind a computer screen doing data research. This helped me recognize the importance of having a career that allows me to interact with others and use my people skills. Knowing these things will help guide me as I continue in my search for a career.