Give It a Try
Internships offer a taste of careers to come.
by David Maldonado, Jr.
Several steps have led Yarethzia Ponce Gallegos to her role as a resident director at the University of Washington. There was earning a master’s degree from Colorado State University and all the lessons she absorbed there. There were also stints there as an assistant resident director and manager. Next was a year at the University of California, Santa Cruz. All of these were formative. But perhaps none will have as lasting an impact as the three months she spent at Washington as a housing department intern.
It was during that 2023 internship that Gallegos first stepped onto the campus that is now her professional home. As she oversaw seven resident assistants, facilitated staff training, organized activities, and responded to incidents, she not only began to put theory into practice, but was also expanding her professional network, better understanding where she fit in the field, and determining whether or not a career in campus housing and student affairs truly aligned with her goals, values, and needs.
Stories like Gallegos’s highlight how internships allow students to turn classroom learning into real-world practice, gain clarity about their career paths, and build confidence in their abilities. Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) supports this, noting that internships create opportunities for mentorship and advocacy that extend well beyond the internship period. When students approach these experiences with curiosity and initiative, they often leave with lasting skills, meaningful connections, and insights that continue to guide their careers. While this is true for almost any career, from accountant to zookeeper, the immersive experiences can take on an even deeper meaning in campus housing and student affairs.
Internship opportunities – such as those offered via ACUHO-I, the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association, and the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education – create a space where learning, leadership, and community intersect. Interns step into roles that ask them to support students, collaborate across departments, and navigate the day-to-day realities of campus living, exploring roles in residence education, facilities management, conference services, and occupancy management while building practical skills and contributing to their host communities. Through that process, they gain a clearer sense of who they are as professionals and what it means to make an impact in the lives of others. For many, it becomes the moment that confirms their calling to higher education and sets the foundation for a career centered on care, growth, and connection.
Many interns described how navigating new responsibilities and stepping into unfamiliar environments strengthened their problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills. They emphasized the importance of supportive supervisors and meaningful relationships, which helped them clarify their career goals and gain confidence in their professional abilities. Even the challenges they faced, from adjusting to new systems to managing workloads, became key moments of growth.
Miranda Owens was a student at Northern Illinois University when she first learned about the ACUHO-I Housing Internship Program. During her internship at Berklee College of Music, she experienced a culture grounded in inclusive leadership. From resident assistants to upper management, she felt that her supervisors genuinely listened to her ideas and put them into practice. That sense of being heard motivated her to invest more deeply in her work and reinforced the importance of environments where voices are valued. “I love working in housing and being a counselor,” said Owens, “so I would love to find a job that would combine both.” Balancing the internship while enrolled in three graduate courses presented challenges, but it also became a significant learning experience. Owens reflected on moments when she felt she fell short of her own expectations, yet she ultimately gained important lessons about prioritization, patience, and personal growth. Most importantly, she left with a deeper recognition that her voice and experiences are meaningful and that speaking up when she sees opportunities for improvement can strengthen the entire community.
For Skylar Walder, a graduate student in student affairs at Clemson University, an internship at The University of Texas at Austin pushed her to grow as a strategic thinker and strengthened her organizational development skills, particularly in terms of staff coordination as she helped lead the summer conference season. “Our supervisor treats us just like a full-time staff member, so we have been able to be fully immersed in working within the department,” she said. Back at Clemson, she was able to apply those lessons to her role supporting students in the Bridge program. Working with a population whose needs differ from those of traditional first-year students deepened her understanding that different functional areas and student populations require distinct approaches. The experience reinforced her belief that housing work has a far-reaching impact across campus.
For campus professionals and host institutions, the lessons are clear: Intentionality matters. When projects have a clear purpose, mentorship is consistent and reciprocal, and interns are treated as full members of the team, the experience benefits everyone involved.
Building confidence and authenticity within professional identity is another benefit of the internship experience. Ashish Doma completed his internship at Seattle University and found that the fun and supportive culture of his internship reminded him that joy plays a critical role in student support. That, in turn, helped him gain confidence in his role and embrace his personality within the work. “Thanks to their guidance, I am reminded of my goal to become a student affairs professional as committed to cultivating excellence and uplifting others as they are,” said Doma.
For Molly Smith, exposure to a new institutional context proved especially impactful. When she headed across the country from the University of Miami in Florida to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, she experienced not only a higher elevation but also a new educational setting. Working within a high-achieving private college environment helped her recognize how student challenges manifest differently across contexts. Through the experience, Smith developed new supervisory skills, strengthened her confidence as a leader, and felt more prepared to guide her housing team moving forward. “I especially enjoyed being able to actively talk about the field and current affairs with my supervisors. Being able to get a wise scholar-practitioner's insight is amazing,” said Smith.
For campus professionals and host institutions, the lessons are clear: Intentionality matters. When projects have a clear purpose, mentorship is consistent and reciprocal, and interns are treated as full members of the team, the experience benefits everyone involved.
NACE, in fact, outlines specific attributes that internships should include to elevate the experience beyond being just a temporary job. Among their guidelines, NACE says an internship should include “a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom,” skills and knowledge transferable to other career environments, “a position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications,” and a supervisor who “provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment.”
Supervisors who invite collaboration, provide space for reflection, and affirm each intern’s unique perspective help build a culture where learning and leadership naturally intersect. On a broader scale, these lessons offer insights into how housing and residential life departments can strengthen their professional pipelines. By investing time in orientation, structured reflection, and cross-functional collaboration, departments not only develop future professionals but also reenergize their own staff.
Ultimately, the reflections from these interns remind us that the true impact of the program lies in its ability to turn learning into leadership. When departments create spaces where interns can bring their full selves and their best ideas forward, both the individual and the institution thrive. These internships reaffirm that when we trust emerging professionals with real responsibility, we not only shape their futures but also renew our own sense of purpose in higher education.
While outcomes for the student intern should remain in the forefront, host institutions benefit as well. Housing departments have reported that interns can expand departmental capacity, allowing teams to take on new projects or initiatives that might not have been possible otherwise. As interns are trusted with responsibilities similar to those of full-time staff, the host is strengthening its professional recruitment pipeline. And, as supervisors establish clear expectations for interns, schedule regular check-ins, and reserve time for reflection, they can find themselves thinking more intentionally about their systems, culture, and leadership practices.
Internships provide students with invaluable opportunities to gain hands-on experience, develop critical skills, and build professional networks that can shape their careers for years to come. For students, pursuing an internship can be a transformative step toward understanding their strengths and discovering where they can make the greatest impact. For colleges and universities, offering structured, well-supported internship programs helps ensure that the next generation of professionals is prepared, engaged, and inspired to contribute to the higher education community. By expanding access to these experiences, institutions can cultivate talent, strengthen campus communities, and help students thrive both personally and professionally.
Even as her time as an intern at the University of Washington grows smaller in her rearview mirror, Yarethzia Ponce Gallegos continues to draw from the experience in both expected and unexpected ways. As a first-generation college professional, she credits the mentorship she received during her internship as a critical source of support, reminding her that growth does not require having everything figured out from the start. She encourages students considering internships to lean into opportunities that feel unfamiliar, noting that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside of one’s comfort zone. Through deep professional connections and relationships that continue long after the internship ends, Gallegos’s experience affirmed that this kind of learning cannot be replicated in a classroom.
“Go ahead and apply to places that are completely outside your comfort zones,” she said. “You learn not only how you fit into the field, but how the field fits into your needs. This is an experience you can’t get in a textbook.” 