One thing that I particularly find amazing about being an intern through the University of Central Florida is the amount of support from the faculty and students we receive. If, at any point, we are having some kind of roadblock or are having difficulty completing our tasks, all it takes is a swift email and our paths become a little clearer.
Something I had mentioned in previous blog posts was a roadblock when it came to finding something to write, Dr. Peter Larson, who serves as one of our internship advisors along with their various other jobs throughout the University, had suggested sharing what a day in my life looks like as an intern.
However, Dr. Larson also suggested ways to speak about what the interviews I had mentioned earlier entailed without violating any kind of privacy laws. The suggestion was to talk about how the interviews were conducted, as well as how the questions asked are formatted.
When it comes to the questions asked of the interviewee, they are relatively the same across the board. The goal of the HERstory project is to explore how women within the community of the University of Central Florida achieved the positions they currently have, as well as their personal journeys and how it differs between their expectations and their reality.
Most interviews start with the interviewer usually asking the person in question to tell us a little about themselves. The answers can range from anywhere between their childhood growing up and how their socioeconomic status had affected how they thought their educational journey would be, to how they had expected the educational journey to go. They sometimes list their educational institutions, various places of work, and they are always asked to tie their journeys into how they ended up here at the University.
Something that I found particularly inspiring about this project is that the interviewers ask what advice that the participants can give to students who may identify with their journey. Some of their words are extremely empowering, and it gives me hope that someone, somewhere, will examine the HERstory project and be inspired to do something to benefit their life path.
The rest of the questions within the interview are up to the interviewer's discretion. It seems like those questions are directed in a way to get the participants to speak about their journey in a more in-depth way, whilst maintaining their boundaries.
Another common thread throughout the interviews was a section dedicated to the projects the participants had sone through UCF and any upcoming projects they had in store. Although I cannot say exactly what those projects are, it is my pleasure to say that the University of Central Florida has an extremely brilliant team throughout their departments working alongside students to create the most beneficial community for the entirety of the faculty and students.
Next week, I believe I will delve into what a day in my life looks like as an intern, as well as some of the difficulties I had faced when trying to do my duties.
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