Elizabethtown College English Department

English majors are encouraged to pursue an internship during their time at the College.  Students typically take advantage of this opportunity in their junior or senior year.  An internship gives students a “real world” experience that will help with the post-graduation job search.

Dr. David Downing, Ralph W. Schlosser Professor of English and Internship Advisor for the English department, feels that an internship is an excellent addition to the curriculum.

“In the classroom, we often provide a highly structured and supportive learning environment—writing guidelines, good and bad examples and peer edit days. In the workplace, supervisors are often too busy to train their writers how to complete a particular assignment. It can be more of a sink-or-swim environment in which new employees have to figure out on their own how to take a multi-step task, gather the needed resources and complete a writing assignment on short deadlines,” Downing said.

There are several approaches a student may take to acquire an internship through the English department.

 Submit an Application

By answering a few simple questions about past experiences with different workplace skills and classes taken, a student can meet with the Internship Advisor and determine the best placement. Students can view a list of previous student placements.

Visit Career Services

The staff of career services also has a list of institutions and businesses with which Elizabethtown College has a relationship.  They can help a student to determine an appropriate placement.  Openings known to Career Services may differ from those available solely through the English Department, as their list expands to other majors and interests.

Perform a Solo Search

A student can search on their own and discover an internship opportunity they would like to pursue.  If the location has not yet formed a relationship with the College, it must be approved by the department in order to qualify for credit.

The Next Steps

After a location is determined, a student must be accepted both by the placement and the English department.  A contract is drawn up for all three parties to sign.  This ensures that all parties understand precisely what the internship will entail.

Throughout the duration of the internship, the student will meet with the advisor to discuss the placement and the student’s progress.  At their internships, students are expected to be working on projects or assignments which will relate to the ones they wish to pursue following graduation.

Previous Pathways

English majors have enjoyed a variety of positive outcomes resulting from their internship experiences.

Katelyn Gebbia, a current senior English major, is interning at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.  This is not the first internship of her college career. “My internships basically fell into my lap,” she said.  Once the opportunity had been brought to her attention by contacts or other means, she followed the required steps. “It’s a quick and easy process, as long as you follow the instructions.”

Lauren Stine interned with a bridal magazine. Though she did not stay with the magazine, she made valuable contacts. Now, Stine works as the head of marketing for a sophisticated wedding venue in York County. She has even begun to sponsor her own wedding trade shows.

Molly Campbell did an internship for a legal firm in Harrisburg. This overlapped with her interest in legal studies. After E-town, she graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh Law School, where she was chosen to be the editor of their law review. Today, Campbell is a successful attorney in the Washington DC area.

Erin Pryor interned with the Discovery Channel. She was offered a job, and continued working there for two years following graduation. After earning her MBA from the University of Virginia, Pryor became a marketing consultant for a nationally-known California winery in Napa Valley.

“I think our English department internships provide a valuable hands-on experience for students, helping them bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world of workplace writing,” said Downing.

More information about internship requirements can be found on the department webpage.

Author Bio:

Samantha Kick is a senior English professional writing major with a theatre minor. She has written and copyedited for the Etownian and assisted Distinguished College Professor and Senior Fellow Emeritus Donald Kraybill in research for his current project on the history of Eastern Mennonite University due for publication in fall 2017. Her visions for the future involve a pen, paper and the oxford comma.

Tags: careers, Dr. Downing, internships