In the Fall of 2017, I was extremely honored and excited to be chosen as a Gil Intern. My internship was through the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, specifically working with Behavioral Health Services in the prison system. This internship was beneficial for a multitude of reasons—it provided me with “real world” working experience just before graduating, provided me with knowledge about the field of psychology that could only be gained through seeing it first-hand, and completely changed the implicit views and stereotypes I once had about incarcerated individuals.
I ultimately decided to end my psychology education when I graduated from UNC in May of 2018, and instead pursued a legal education at UNC School of Law. My experience as a Gil Intern made a huge impact on me and inspired me to participate in several pro bono projects throughout my time in law school to help provide legal assistance for incarcerated individuals and those with prior criminal charges. Though the Gil Internship is geared toward students pursuing a career in psychology, it has been a tremendous help in my legal career so far because of the many professional skills that I learned through the program. Additionally, it was always a topic of conversation that I had worked in a prison when interviewing for summer associate positions!
I graduated from law school in December of 2020, got married in March 2021, and will begin working as a corporate attorney in Charlotte in April 2021. I plan on continuing to participate in pro bono work with currently and previously incarcerated individuals throughout my legal career. I am very thankful to the Gil Internship program for providing me with invaluable experience that helped me grow as a student, professional, and as a person.
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