When some people hear the word “intern,” they may tend to think bottom-of-the-barrel, imprisoned, or a person that does someone else’s chores. Think again, my friends, because the students in NCC’s Paralegal and Office Administration programs have affixed to that word an entire new meaning.
The internship course, or “capstone course,” is taken at the end of these programs. It allows students to apply in a work environment all the theories, applications and content they have learned and applied in the classroom through assignments, quizzes, etc. The value-added benefit of an internship is the strong potential of securing a permanent job opportunity and some very valuable experience to put on the résumé.
This spring semester has brought the largest internship class in the history of the Office Administration and Paralegal Programs, according to Annie Laurie Meyers, associate professor of business & office administration. The thirty-eight interns putting their skills to work in offices throughout the region represent the Office Administration Program (Administrative, Medical or Legal) and the Paralegal Program (an ABA-approved program, which represents the American Bar Association.) Several of Meyers’ graduates from the Paralegal and Office Administration programs have now become internship site supervisors themselves.
The multitude of internship sites include places like the Attorney General’s Office in Allentown, Cohen & Feeley Law Offices, Buzzi Unicem in Bethlehem, PA, Easton Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Center in Easton, PA, Pocono Pediatrics in Stroudsburg, PA, Accounting Department at NCC, and even Rep. Craig Dally’s office. Each student is truly expanding their horizons and making the most of every valuable second they spend at their site.
Each intern must complete a documented 100 hours, which began in mid-March and continue through the end of April. Many students are thrilled at the prospect of meeting new people. Danielle Henshue, who looked ready to go, cannot wait to see how things turn out at Berkheimer & Associates in Pen Argyl, her internship site. “I think the experience will be the best thing. I talked to my supervisor there, and he can’t wait to meet new people and get fresh ideas.”
Anne Ziegenfuss, pictured at left with Rep. Craig Dally, started her internship at his office on March 10. She works 14 hours a week, with duties like “entering data-constituent cards into software programs, entering stimulus payments and school district rebates,” she says. “I also put a Craig Dally sticker on magazines and maps. My supervisor, Marcia Hahn, said nothing leaves his office without one of these stickers on it.”
Rosemary Temmel started her internship on March 12 at NCC’s very own Fowler Family Southside Center. She is anticipating answering phones-and giving significant answers-to parents and students with questions.
Each student is putting in the standard time of about 15-20 hours per week to meet the 100 hour mark by the end of this month. Jack Harrison plans to devote his hours to the Orthopedics Associates of the Greater Lehigh Valley. He was outnumbered in the internship class by 37 females, leaving him to be the only male in the class. “I don’t understand why more men don’t get into fields like this. There is such a need for people in this challenging type of work, and it just surprises me when I don’t see as many men working in it.” Jack is a non-traditional student who spent twenty years working in a factory, not yet realizing the possibilities Northampton held for him to expand his academic skill-set.
Daytona Simpson considers herself blessed because of what she has learned. Daytona is filled with a feeling of being well prepared to intern at Lehigh County’s District Attorney’s Office, “who has been a strong supporter of our Paralegal Internship program,” according to Annie Laurie Meyers. “They have kindly provided internships for at least four of our students.” Each intern has an idea of how busy he or she will be throughout the day, and Daytona says, “I will be going to court, then reporting and writing, so it will definitely be a challenge. All the classes I have taken here at NCC have prepared me for the work I will soon be doing at my internship. Thanks to the professors here, I know how to handle my workload. They work you hard at NCC, but that makes it even better because you are prepared so much more.”
Annie Laurie Meyers sees the internship experience for her students as a “win-win-win situation for all parties involved-the student, the internship site and the program/college. As water seeks its own level; so can you, you decide what level you want to attain!” she says. Meyers helps students visualize the outcome and quality of their internship experience, and adds that it is a “great résumé builder!”
Other students were nervous as they completed their academic course work, geared up to embark on a new type of learning. As I completed my interview with each prospective intern, I reminded them that the nerves tend to go away within the first week, after getting used to your surroundings, as I am an intern myself here at NCC. The initial fear subsides, and before we all know it, the days will go by quicker and quicker, and this valuable experience will be a thing of the past, optimistically leaving us with more job opportunities than we could imagine.
