Name: Tiana Evelyn
Class Year: 2020
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Lynn, Mass.

Internship Placement: Girls Incorporated middle and high school programs
Job Title: Summer Intern
Location: Girls Inc. of Lynn

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer, I am interning at Girls Inc. of Lynn. Girls Inc. is an afterschool program for girls from elementary to high school, and every summer they run a program called Eureka! Eureka! is a program that introduces middle school girls to science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, with the long-term goal of inspiring girls to pursue post-secondary education and careers in STEM fields. My position in this program is a technology assistant. I work alongside the lead technology instructor and help them with the curriculum they are running with girls who are rising eighth graders. The curriculum covers learning about Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, how to make a résumé, how to set up their own email accounts, and completing activities from a website called WebQuest. Additionally, I am working in the high school program to help improve the curriculum for their Teen Leadership Academy program they run throughout the school year. The Teen Leadership Academy( TLA) is a nine-week program designed to empower young women with leadership and life skills. Throughout this program the girls work with a professional coach and learn about various topics, such as Public Speaker, Financial Literacy, Conflict Resolution, Confident vs. Conceited, Time Management, Goal Setting, Effective Communication, and how to Dress to Impress. This past spring TLA ran its first pilot launch, in which they ran activities and workshops about the previously mentioned topics. My role is to help improve and better the activities for the program. I am using the ideas they used in the spring and researching new activities the program can implement in the fall.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because working with young teens is something that I have been passionate about for a long time and this is similar to what I want to do in the future. After college, I want to open my own afterschool program for girls that introduces them to the different STEM fields. I believe that this experience working with young teens and teach them about technology is helping me gain the experience to achieve my goal.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

Before going to college, I was a member of the Girls Inc. community for eight years. I have participated in numerous programs from elementary to high school, and those years made my experience at Girls Inc. welcoming and the environment made me feel like I was at home. While I was in college and looking for what internships to apply for, I instantly thought of Girls Inc. I knew beforehand that they had many summer programs because I participated in them when I was a member. I asked they Lead Director of the Middle and High programs if there were any internships I could apply for, and she told me about the program Eureka!. I participated in this program when I was in middle school, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give back, because this program introduced me to STEM and this is where I discovered my passion for learning about computers. This program was the foundation that helped my chose my career very early, and it means a lot that the Lead Director asked me to be part of the growing movement that is inspiring young teens about science.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

During my experience interning at Girls Inc. I am progressing my communication, relationship building, and time management skills. Girls Inc. requires various skills that every staff should utilize while working at the program. I am progressing my skills in communication because I want to effectively explain my ideas to the middle school girls and the other staff, so they can clearly understand my ideas. Relationship building is a huge skill at Girls Inc. because we are constantly working with young teens, so it is important to have a strong relationship with them because we are role models to them. Throughout my first year at college, my time management skills were OK, I managed to get my stuff done on time, but I didn’t think it was the best. However, my internship is allowing me to perfect this skill by creating deadlines for me to have completed activities done. I also discovered that I need to learn to be patient. Working in a community that is very diverse has pros and cons. A pro is that I get to work with girls that are all unique and come from different backgrounds, however, along with the diversity aspect, there are language barriers; some of the girls can’t speak English. So, realizing that and being patient to take the time to understand their differences helps me become a better person not only in this internship, but overall. I take everything I do in life as a learning experience to help develop and grow into a well-rounded individual and this opportunity to work with young girls is helping me do so.