July 06, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Students in the College of Applied Health Sciences have the opportunity to do their internships in a variety of fields. Today, we speak with Jenna Pryor, who is a rising senior in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, about her internship.
Q: What was your experience with The Autism Program?
A: I had many different experiences with The Autism Program, which is why I enjoyed it so much! We had observation hours watching an RBT interact with one of their clients. I also had hands-on experience working in the resource room making projects, communicating with other interns/clients, meeting new people, restocking the resource room and so much more! There was some slight research, we had to watch around 40 hours of training videos, those videos presented a great deal of information and expanded my knowledge for the internship and in general.
Q: How did you apply for the internship?
A: I initially heard about the internship through email from my consular. In the email, the application was attached. The instructions stated to fill out the application and then email it to the woman who conducts the interviews, Anne Hall. Later on I had an interview and then got offered the internship!
Q: What did you learn from the internship?
A: There are so many things that I have learned from this internship. I learned how to use different tools such as a laminator, different computer softwares, navigating a library database, answering phone calls, and creating books/stories. I also learned more about professionalism. Being in a resource room and interacting with different clients, interns, and coworkers in that setting gave me a better idea of how to behave as a professional. I also learned how amazing it is to step out of your comfort zone. I am not the most creative person, but I created and designed many different stories. It was great to work on my weaknesses and complete certain tasks that I do not have much experience on.
Q: What was your biggest take away from the experience?
A: My biggest takeaway from this experience is to give you all into everything that you do. I love helping and assisting others, and I got to use this strength of mine for many situations in this internship. It is important to give your all because not only are students/teachers/peers/parents/etc. using the resources that you make for them, a lot of individuals and families are counting on them. I’ve ran into situations where parents feel lost and need a sense of direction for their child. A diagnosis of autism for a parent who has a child with autism or the individual who has autism can be very overwhelming. I feel that The Autism Program helps ease the stress for these families. It is important to go above and beyond for all who come to us for resources/help.
Q: Is this internship closely related to the field you are hoping to work in?
A: Yes, this internship is closely related to the field I am hoping to work with. I am a speech and hearing science student with a speech-language pathology concentration. When I saw the RBT interact with the child during my observation sessions, this is a similar situation I could be experiencing in the future. Children who have autism also tend to see speech-language pathologists, it was great to learn more about autism. It will help me for my future career getting to know more about different disorders, as they could be my potential future clients.
Q: Would you like to share any other information that might be helpful for future SHS students?
A: If you have any opportunity to apply to an internship or get hands-on experience, do it! These are eye-opening experiences that help you expand your knowledge greatly. It also builds character and puts you in different situations. I have grown academically and emotionally from my first internship. These are experiences that you don’t get from your courses! Be sure to get to know your professors and utilize office hours. Building a relationship with your professors is very important. Professors love when students reach out for help or when students want to get to know them.
Editor’s note:
To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
