"Something I really appreciated about this experience was that I was able to directly apply my English major skills – reading/research, writing, and critical thinking – every single day."
Hannah interned at the Scottish Parliament in 2017.
If a student asked you about interning here, what would you say? I would tell them it’s a wonderful opportunity well worth taking advantage of. It’s a great way to apply English major skills in a real workplace setting, a great byline on a resume, and it’s a really neat experience being independent abroad.
What is your advice to future interns to help them have a successful experience? I think having a successful experience is very dependent on what you put into it. Something that is important is building relationships fast by being yourself and not being afraid of people around you. I also think being confident when you start tasks and not needing your supervisor to hold your hand through every little thing, especially at the beginning, makes a difference.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship experience? The most rewarding aspect for me was being really involved in the little community of my office. I went to lunches, to Scottish culture parties, and on weekends visiting castles with them. It was really neat to work with people and get to know them. I feel like I got a real window into Scotland from both a political and social perspective.
Something I really appreciated about this experience was that I was able to directly apply my English major skills – reading/research, writing, and critical thinking – every single day. I feel like I was really able to translate those skills to my work and that was really rewarding. Also, this is a cool program because you’re an adult. You find your own housing, you go to work, and you kind of get to have a taste of living abroad independently, without the supervision and structure of a study abroad.
Learn more about this internship at the Kennedy Center program website.
Scottish Parliament