A Whirlwind of Emotions

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the 2018 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Johany Dubon, COL ’20

Applying to internships entails a whirlwind of emotions. One of those is the constant feeling of comparison to your peers. Everybody wants to secure the perfect summer internship – educational and challenging, yet exciting and flexible. However, the search for the perfect internship becomes increasingly difficult when you realize the monetary barriers that may prevent you from finding such an internship. You realize that money is not a barrier for everyone, and it is easy to get frustrated when it feels like you will not be able to pursue your passion because it is too expensive. In this way, securing funding can be quite competitive and is a stressor in and of itself.

            I was so thankful to find out that I was granted funding by VPUL for my summer in Washington, D.C. As a Political Science major, I hoped to have a political summer internship in D.C. to start preparing myself for a career in politics. When I began the housing search, I quickly realized how expensive living in D.C. was. Soon, the possibility of interning in D.C. started to feel like less of a reality. Costs of rent, food, and transportation started to pile up faster than I had expected. I seeked funding resources through a few means but my internship either did not fit the description or I was not selected due to the number of applicants. In the end, I was selected for funding. The money I received was invaluable to me and my ability to intern at The Raben Group this past summer. Without it, I would not have had the ability to meet the amazing professionals that work at Raben, and I would not have been able to explore and network in D.C.

            This past summer, I was an intern in Raben’s Issue Campaigns practice area. I had the chance to participate in the planning and execution of various campaigns and learn how campaigns are started and maintained. One of these campaigns was the campaign by the Friends of the American Latino museum, which aims to build a new Smithsonian museum dedicated to American Latinos. To my excitement, when my supervisors noticed how intrigued I was by this campaign, they offered me 2 tickets to the Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum. I had been trying to secure tickets all summer, but had no such luck until a fellow Raben surprised me with tickets!

            During my internship, I bettered my writing abilities, worked with clients that are bettering the world, and most importantly, I interacted with a variety of people who inspire me everyday. I am so appreciative for this opportunity!

Author: Student Perspective

Views and opinions from current Penn students.