Name: Rebeca Salas

Year: 2019

Major: Sociology

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

This summer, I have been interning at Providence Center in North Philadelphia. There, I have been the “College Access Support Intern.” My work has consisted of surveying Providence’s high school students’ college guidance needs and filling in the gaps. To do this, I have been working on a college access resource guide and hosting a “College 101” style workshop for the students. (Fun fact: The workshop happened yesterday, and it was a huge success!) Interning at the Providence Center has been incredibly rewarding. The experience has assured me that, after college, I will likely pursue a career in the area of college access programming/coordination. Additionally, the experience has given me a Philadelphia nonprofit to serve at during the academic year.

Why I applied for my internship:

I reached out to Providence Center about a summer internship because the community it serves resonates with me. Providence’s high school students are predominantly Latino, first-generation college students, like I am. I am doing the college access work for them because I want to help them feel more prepared and comfortable with the college process.

How I heard about my internship:

I learned about Providence Center in talking to Nell Anderson from Civic Engagement. She thought it would be a perfect fit, so I emailed them. The internship in college access work does not exist there, however, so I created it in conjunction with their staff.