Besides supervisor support, the interns also expressed how the support they receive from their entire department and division is helpful. For Brettnacher, being an intern in the division has been a fantastic experience because of how understanding OSE staff are of her being a student, especially in this hectic year.
“I definitely appreciate all the student employees and supervisors out there,” Brettnacher said.
The opportunities she receives as an intern also provide a type of support, as she gains experience for her future. Brettnacher, who wants to go into higher education or student affairs, has been able to develop skills for her future career and gain a better understanding of career services and how to best serve students.
“Another benefit of working for DUE is that you do get to work with students, and you do have an impact, so I always thought that was kind of an added bonus to it,” Brettnacher said. “I feel like a lot of positions within the department, either directly or indirectly, influence students, which I think is pretty powerful.”
For Kucaj, she has also received the support that comes from gaining experience for her future. She has developed her communication skills through the creation of a monthly student newsletter, training on platforms such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Qualtrics, and transitioning from her office support ambassador position to her current communications intern position.
“I recently interviewed for a publishing internship opportunity in downtown Indianapolis and received an offer for spring 2022,” Kucaj said. “Without OSE and the skills I gained within the communications intern role, I do not think I would have gotten such an opportunity yet. So, I am incredibly thankful for OSE’s dedication to helping me build the skills I need for my future.”
She also emphasized how thankful she is for her experience within OSE, as it made her feel at home.
“As I came into this new chapter in my life as a college student, I was experiencing many nerves and fears of not belonging. OSE quickly made me feel right at home and supported. Without them, I am not sure I would have felt as connected to campus going in,” Kucaj said.
Kucaj also has found the entire division has provided her with support, such as the DUE web team assisting OSE with any web-related ideas.
DeHaan, who has been working with interns directly for several years as a supervisor and through the On-Campus Internship Program, pointed out how impactful working in the division can be for student employees.
“Internships are an incredibly valuable type of experiential learning because they give students the opportunity to gain direct experience within a specific career or field of study,” DeHaan said.
DeHaan also made sure to point out that besides the positive impact internships have on students, their impact on the division is positive as well.
“Not only are students gaining valuable experience from their internships, they also provide great value to DUE for the amazing work they contribute,” DeHaan said.
Brettnacher’s contributions to the division and her department include assisting with the transition to the new job board, Handshake. Part of that work included making tip sheets, so students could learn how to use this website as a tool.
“I feel like the projects that I work on may help OSE, but they also contribute to the larger network of things which is like the division,” Brettnacher said.
Kucaj, who joined the division and OSE because of their dedication to and appreciation for their student workers, helps support the division and her department through her assistance in providing meaningful work opportunities to other students.
“I have created job aids, managed all three of our websites, been a mentor in our office’s professional development training program, Hire Achievers, and created The OSE Column,” Kucaj said. “My office has helped me feel valued within the division and the department by letting me take on a variety of projects—even if that means they have to spend extra time training me on it.”
Along with “on-campus student employment contributing to positive retention numbers” and the benefits of student internship as of experiential learning, DeHaan pointed out how student interns positively impact the division.
“There are many interns working in our division in a wide variety of focus areas, and I know that all the supervisors I’ve worked with would agree that their interns have been crucial to their success,” DeHaan said.
Although DeHaan knows some may be hesitant about hiring an intern, wondering how to structure the position within their office or the work involved with an intern, she pointed out that OSE can help alleviate these concerns directly or through their On-Campus Internship Program, which provides funding assistance and additional support to supervisors and students.
“While I do agree that it can take some time to train a new student, after that initial process, I think most supervisors find that the positive contributions of their students greatly outweigh their initial concerns,” DeHaan said.
DeHaan elaborated on how valuable student interns are within the division.
“I appreciate seeing all the amazing work that interns complete within DUE especially because it has such a powerful impact on other students,” DeHaan said. “They are doing amazing work that benefits our division and IUPUI as a whole.”
