Internships, field experiences and service-learning opportunities can provide valuable real-world experience and workplace skills. In addition to personal and professional growth, students also may gain insights to help with decision-making about future career plans.
APA offers an internship program that provides a unique educational experience for high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Interns are typically involved in providing administrative support, coordinating special projects and events, and assisting with research and writing projects. Under the direction of Debra Perry, APA’s internship program coordinator, APA offers special programs with guest speakers and training sessions for interns. The majority of APA internships are offered to students who can earn academic credit; therefore, these internships are unpaid.
For more information about internship opportunities for students at APA, contact Debra Perry.
In 2015, APA welcomed many interns — for a semester, the summer or even yearlong experiences. The most recent cohort of APA interns worked in various offices and program areas across the association. Some highlights include:
Julia E. Besser, MA
Graduate student in the counseling psychology doctoral program at Texas Woman’s University (expected graduation 2019).
As a research and policy intern, Besser worked in APA’s Practice Directorate and Government Relations Office. Besser participated in treatment guideline development panels, attended legislative meetings on Capitol Hill, and assisted in creating state presentations on the upcoming transition to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CM) and on telepsychology practices. Her work was published on behalf of the APA Practice Directorate, and her research endeavors greatly supported the efforts of both the Practice Directorate and Government Relations Office.
Dawn Bunch
High school student enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Albert Einstein High School (expected graduation 2018).
Bunch worked in the communications office of APA’s Public Interest Directorate. She wrote two articles for the newsletter — one on mental health in black churches and how institutionalized racism and socio-economic status have affected the stance of mental health as a topic of discussion in black communities, and the other an analysis of the sexualization of young girls in the media. Bunch assisted in preparation for APA’s convention and collected program information. She also contacted related nonprofit organizations via Facebook, and found and posted pictures for the Public Interest Instagram account.
Jen Fisher
Psychology major and recent graduate of George Mason University (graduated 2015).
Jen worked as one of APA’s Science Directorate interns. Her main task was to prepare students for the APA Summer Science Fellowship program at George Mason University. Fisher assisted in research and compilation of psychological data. She also helped organize and prepare for the APA Annual Convention.
Alexus Ford
Psychology major at High Point University (expected graduation 2017).
Ford worked in the busy APA Convention Office providing administrative support. In addition to responding to inquiries about the convention, Ford assisted with the many details associated with planning for the August 2015 convention in Toronto. She said she enjoyed her experience at APA, and the opportunity helped her to strengthen her event-planning skills.
Cameron Hatcher
Undergraduate majoring in psychology with a concentration in human factors and applied cognition, and minoring in English Literature and Statistics (data analysis) at George Mason University (expected graduation 2016).
Hatcher worked in APA’s Center for Workforce Studies, where he assisted in the collection and dissemination of statistical information relevant to psychology’s workforce and education. Hatcher was involved in moderating the social media campaign for the 2015 APA Annual Convention in Toronto and assisted with government relations efforts on Capitol Hill (e.g., congressional briefings). In addition, Hatcher assisted with tasks related to the annual Summer Science Fellowship Program sponsored by APA’s Science Directorate.
Lauren Nemeroff
Psychology major at George Washington University (expected graduation 2016).
Nemeroff has a yearlong internship in the Office of Precollege and Undergraduate Education in the Education Directorate, where she has been involved in conducting research and writing projects for the office. In 2016, Nemeroff will assist the office with numerous special projects, including a national survey of undergraduate psychology programs, the annual awards programs for teachers, an essay competition for students and a summer workshop for psychology teachers.
Mayowa Omokanwaye
Physics/mathematics major at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (expected graduation 2016).
Omokanwaye worked in APA’s Finance Department, where, she says, department members were supportive in ensuring her experience was deeply rewarding. Omokanwaye learned valuable accounting skills and helped resolve ongoing tasks that maintain proper documentation and analysis of APA finances. In observing the structure and tools implemented at APA to work with the complex flow of assets and funds, she discovered efficient techniques for organizing and reporting large amounts of information in general — techniques that can be applied to any field.
Janan Shouhayib
Psychology major with minors in English and Middle Eastern studies at Connecticut College (expected graduation 2016).
Shouhayib worked in the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs in APA’s Public Interest Directorate. Shouhayib helped organize grant proposals related to ethnic minority research and training, helped recruit psychologists conducting research on underserved communities and also helped organize an ethnic minority-focused program guide book for the 2015 APA convention.
Aliyah Silver
Psychology major at the University of Maryland, College Park (expected graduation 2018).
Silver worked in the Public Interest Directorate for the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP). Silver was heavily involved in preparing for and facilitating MFP’s annual Psychology Summer Institute, where she had the opportunity to meet numerous well-known professionals and learn about various aspects of minority health issues and research. Silver commented that she gained valuable skills and experience that have contributed to her professional development.
About the Author
Martha Boenau is the associate director for Precollege and Undergraduate Education in the APA Education Directorate. Boenau has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in community mental health counseling.