Marty Schmidt

Responsibilities

My internship responsibilities included communicating with my supervisor, staff, and clients. Keeping confidentiality was one of the most important responsibilities. I wrote progress notes, interacted with clients, and led sessions. Of course, my responsibilities also included being respectful and keeping professionalism at all times. Overall, I had the same responsibilities as everyone which was using this internship as a learning experience.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during my internship was gaining the confidence to lead School-Based Youth Services Worker sessions by myself. It is nerve-wracking to go from the student to the professional. Taking that step was my greatest accomplishment.

Learning experience

The biggest lesson I learned was that you can't work harder than your clients. While this might sound harsh, it is in the best interest of myself and my clients. It prevents me from getting burnt out, and it teaches clients accountability. Another lesson that I learned was that most of the time, supervisors and other staff are your greatest resources and to lean on them when you need help.

What advice would you give?

My best advice for future interns is to get as much exposure as possible. Even if you know what clientele you want to work with, it is still good to get experience in other areas in case you like it more than you thought. My internship provided exposure to many types of clientele and services, and I am so thankful for it.