September 2008 

More Summer VIP Experiences

Lindsay McClennan ’09, who is pursuing a interdisciplinary major in justice and peace, interned at the Center for Survivors of Torture in Dallas, Texas, researching marketing and development opportunities and working with clients, often using her Spanish skills. “My internship taught me … about the healing capacity of the human spirit and about how to learn from others.”

Mallory Latham ’11, a religion and communication studies major, interned as the youth director at First Presbyterian Church in Bonham, Texas. She organized youth activities and trips and led Sunday school each week. She had considered youth ministry as a career and this experience allowed her to see all that goes into such a position. “I have questioned a lot if I want my religion to be my job and this experience has taught me that I would love that! Work with the youth has been so rewarding. This internship has been an amazing experience and I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity.”
 

David Shanafelt

Shanafelt, a biology major with a minor in math, handled lots of recreational and learning activities, including — as anyone who has ever been responsible for children understands—“making sure they don’t kill themselves.” He worked mainly with kindergarten through fifth grade students though a stint with 3- and 4-year-olds that provided the added insight that he is not ready to be a parent any time soon.

‘This experience helped me realize that working with kids is what I really want to do and gave me a great environment to practice my teaching techniques and identify my own personal style.”

Days spent in the company of children required lots of energy and Shanafelt found ways to incorporate his Austin College studies through teaching the kids about plants and animals — and he didn’t lose anyone at the zoo!
 

Tyler Wallace ’09, a political science major with a minor in history, served as a Lilly intern at the Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham, Texas. His work included curatorial projects such as cataloging photos, preparing artifact condition reports, and assisting with preventative conservation tasks. He also completed several research projects, including one focused specifically on Lyndon Johnson’s visits to the Sam Rayburn home, and assisted museum staff with special programs and group tours of the site. In addition to learning more about Sam Rayburn and his connections to Lyndon Johnson, Tyler found the internship an interesting insight into museum work.

Sociology major Katy Williams ’10 spent the summer working with three county agents of Texas AgriLife Extension Services in Sulphur Springs. Her goal for the internship was to work with children and families – and she definitely did, finding herself in situations with children to senior citizens. “I learned how to use my strengths and recognize when they are most useful,” said Williams, who found that the experience provided insight on her career interest. “I learned the behind-the-scenes workings of the organizations that help a community function and strive as well as about people and the differences in how to interact with them. I observed the politics, how the economy affects our lives, and what needs to be done to provide the needs for the entire community.”
 

September 2008 

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Lisa Simpson ’09, a political science major with a minor in history,  spent the summer at Texoma Children’s Museum in Denison, Texas, developing educational materials.  “My internship taught me that kids want to learn; you just have to make it fun for them,” Lisa said. “Working at the children’s museum helped me figure out that I am interested in museum studies as a career, particularly the educational aspect of the field. I applied things that I have learned in my history classes to teaching camps and developing posters for the museum exhibits.”

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