“I was able to find myself throughout this work experience. Coming into the program I felt like I was a scared college student who didn’t know what to expect. Now, I feel more confident in myself. This was a great opportunity to test the waters and find out what my strengths and weaknesses really were.” –Araxi Tejeda-Martinez, Eugene School District intern
“This experience in the LEI program has allowed me to open so many doors and knowledge that I would have not figured out or gained if I didn’t take this internship. I’m thankful for being able to gain work experience and be able to learn more about myself. I was able to become more capable of doing research, understanding the material easier, and becoming more independent and prepared after college.” –Josue Velasquez-Silva, Planned Parenthood intern
“LEI helped me learn about my leadership style and gain new strategies, network with other students and community professionals, and focus on how I actually feel about my internship placement in the context of my greater goals. It gave me a framework for understanding how I want to progress in my career and what I should be aiming to gain from professional experiences.” –Rocky Stern, Willamalane Park and Recreation intern
“This LEI program has contributed a lot to my professional development. Since my internship placement was not directly related to my career interests, it taught me how to still make the most of the internship and what to focus on like transferable skills, networking, etc.” –Po San, Women’s Innovation Network intern
“Because I found getting professional experience tricky and intimidating, my experience in the LEI program has been rewarding in the sense that I overcome those fears and barriers. I have gained many new skills working at the City of Eugene, a predominantly white organization, and I have gotten the lay of the land with professional development. Having weekly meetings about real and relevant topics with a smaller group was beneficial to my transparency and growth.” –Samantha Kar, City of Eugene Oregon22 intern
“It has been beyond informative and amazing. I feel I have learned so many important skills that will help me whether I decide to go into law, political work, HR, etc. and I’ve made so many meaningful connections and friendships here at the UO.” –Hibah Hammad, OSPIRG intern
“This experience was extremely beneficial and fruitful to building my career goals. For a while, I didn’t have the motivation to actively seek out my interests. I think having the weekly LEI meetings rooted me with a concrete schedule, and I was able to see my goals come to fruition. This was my first internship ever, and I’m so glad it was a balance of having a source of guidance while also getting a first-hand experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better first internship.” –Joie Littleton, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art intern
“I really liked our cohort meetings and how we talked about things unrelated to the internship for a bit. I felt that they were fun and I really did enjoy them!” –Bella Navarro, Volunteers in Medicine intern
“Paid internships are very helpful for students to gain internships and networks.” –Ria Bhatt, Womenspace intern