My SITC Experience: Maddy Roy
Semester in the City provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; our hands-on internship program allows you to develop professionally, experience mentorship, and make a difference in people’s lives all while living in Boston with like-minded students.
We recently reached out to our amazing SITC alumni to help share just how much of an impact the program can have in their own words. The following blog post is by University of New Hampshire’s Maddy Roy who was a part of our Spring 2020 cohort and interned with Brookline Teen Center: she talks about why she was interested in SITC, her intern experience, and why she liked living in Boston.
Semester in the City was a program that I was highly interested in since the beginning of my freshman year after hearing a wonderful presentation by an alum of the program. It was the opportunity to gain real-world experience at an organization that worked toward solving social issues that really caught my eye. People always told me how important it was to experience an internship before graduation and this was the perfect step in achieving that goal and discovering my deeper interests, strengths, and place in the world. I also saw this program as a chance for me to challenge myself, meet new people, immerse myself in a larger and diverse community, and put my knowledge and skills to the test. As I look back today, I can attest to this experience checking all of those boxes and more!
While in Boston, I interned at the Brookline Teen Center, a non-profit youth organization. There, I created a marketing job opportunity for the teens, hosted resume workshops, and empowered teens to become leaders, mentors, and creators. Before interning at the teen center, I never had any experience working with adolescents or an interest in working with this population in my future. However, that mindset quickly shifted after my first few weeks at the center, engaging in meaningful work and being part of a team that was just as dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives as I was. From this experience, I’ve grown as an individual and have acquired so many valuable skills from both my internship and classes that I can translate into my future work. One thing I loved was having the opportunity to apply what I was learning in my internship to the two classes and vice versa. More specifically, I really liked how every concept, idea, and skill we were learning connected to my own life in some way, whether that be in my personal or professional life. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to share my story and be surrounded by like-minded people who were eager to find solutions to several issues and were invested in my life as I was in theirs.
Living in Boston was absolutely incredible! For someone who grew up in a rural area and goes to UNH which is surrounded by open land, valleys, and mountains, it was nice to experience a change of scenery and be encompassed by historical buildings and beautiful architecture. Before this experience, I had never been to Boston; living on my own in an unfamiliar area was a little scary at first, but once I met my roommates and the other fellows in the program, I felt ten times more comfortable and excited to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities and explore the beautiful city. A few of my favorite memories were walking along the Charles River with a few friends, going to Chinese celebrations and leaning more about the culture, exploring the Museum of Fine Arts, taking trips to Harvard and shopping downtown, attending motivational plays, and exploring arcades.
As I look back, I can truly say this was a life-changing experience that gave me the opportunity to apply what I was learning in the classroom to the real world and explore new interests. Not only did this program help me to expand my network, boost my resume, acquire valuable life skills, and challenge me, it also led me to even greater opportunities and opened new doors. If I could, I definitely would participate again! To all those who are in the program now and are thinking of joining future cohorts, I wish you the best of luck!
Here’s to more generations of problem solvers and changemakers!
Interested in becoming a Student Fellow like Maddy was? Click here to apply!
If you have any questions, please email us at sitc@collegeforsocialinnovation.org.