Elise Hill

Responsibilities

As an intern at the Iowa State Research Park, I worked in various areas of an ongoing project. My duties include but were not limited to: - Conducted extensive research in areas of romantic relationships, human development, economic hardship, and the impact one generation of parents can have on subsequent generations of individuals and families. - Collected and analyzed data based on questionnaires and cognitive studies. - Performed outreach to local families within the community. - Distributed surveys to individuals to assess daily lifestyle habits.

Accomplishments

I would say that my greatest accomplishment during my internship experience were the connections I built with my colleagues as well as the respect gained working with individual participants.

Learning experience

Some of the greatest lessons I learned during my experience would conclude to never be afraid to take on leadership skills when working on an individual project. It took me a long time to realize that sometimes you are given a project and have to take everything with a grain of salt. It may seem difficult at first, but once you get the ball rolling everything falls into place.

What advice would you give?

The advice I have for students going into Human Development and Family Studies is to always go into every experience with an open mind and open heart. I would also say never be afraid to get your toes wet and jump into new experiences. There are so many opportunities for students in our major and many lessons to learn along the way.