It’s hard to believe another semester has come and gone, and another cohort of Gil Interns are joining the alumni network! This semester, I had the pleasure of working with 11 wonderful juniors and seniors from the Psychology and Neuroscience Department. We partnered with two new work sites, UNC Horizons (a substance use disorder treatment program for pregnant and/ or parenting women and their children) and the UNC Early Brain Development Program within the Department of Psychiatry and are in the process of on boarding several additional sites for the Spring 2018 semester. Our mid-semester Mentor Showcase brought together the interns and mentors, to further expose students to potential careers in psychology and practice the oh-so-important elevator pitch. While students walk into this event nervous, and unsure of what to expect, they leave with a sense of confidence and excitement about the future.
I also had the pleasure to visit several interns at their work sites over the course of the semester. Saif Mehyer, a senior interested in the intersection of business and psychology, was placed at iRT, (innovation Research & Training) a behavioral sciences research company that aims to improve the health & well-being of youth, families, organizations, and communities. Along with his mentor, Dr. Allison Schmidt, Saif worked on the data analysis and social media aspects of the drugged driving project. Grace Porter, a senior interested in clinical psychology, found a passion for working with children and adolescents who had experienced trauma while working at 3-C Family Services in Cary. A third visit brought me to Cognitive Psychiatry of Chapel Hill, where Mary Triplett was working with Dr. Jennie Byrne, a Psychiatrist who opened a private practice in Chapel Hill. Not only was Mary able to learn about working as a Psychiatrist, she was exposed to the ins and outs of managing an office of mental health providers and running a business.
The Fall 2017 semester concluded with my favorite afternoon of the semester, the Intern Poster Session. In preparation for this event, students spend time creating an academic poster summarizing the contributions they have made over the course of the semester. On Monday December 4th, we took over the first floor of Howell Hall, a new location for this event. The posters were hung, refreshments were served, and students were able to present their work to mentors, other students, and members of the UNC community. It is amazing to see how much growth occurs from the time the students are selected to be members of the Karen M. Gil Internship Program to that afternoon. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to keep the program running, and events such as this, make it all worth it for me! I am excited to continue to watch the program thrive and help more students gain real world work experience around the triangle. Thanks to the Fall 2017 cohort for a great semester!
-Molly Corrigan, Gil Internship Manager
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