Internships give hands-on job experience Many fields of study are now requiring students to participate in internships as part of their college education because they are an effective way to explore the profession and test the student's interest in it. Many Harding students found that internships provided real-life experience that could not be gained in the classroom. This experience was monitored to achieve specific learning goals without the frustration of total abandonment · in an unfamiliar role. The College of Bible and Religion sent interns to churches across the United States and even to other countries. Karen Mannard, an elementary educationmajor, worked with the Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro, Ark., this summer. ' It is a rare experience that someone would get to [be an] intern at a church rather than a company. They get to experience the spiritual aspect of the job as well as the business aspect," she said. Mannard said her favorite part of her internship was "the relationship with the girls and with the church staffthat was established over the summer." Mark Cross, a public administration major worked at Capitol Hill as an intern for Congressman Mac Thornberry of Texas. Although he had such a prestigious internship, he said he still had to do many unexciting tasks. "My least favorite thing to do was sort mail. We had to do it three times a day,'' Cross said. However, he still considered his internship a valuable learning tool. "Everything I did I couldn't have learned in a classroom, especially... learning my way around Capitol Hill. If I took every government class at Harding, I still wouldn't learn stuff like that." Ryan Flint, a biology major, spent his summer working for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington state. "My favorite thing I did was hurrying up the side of a mountain to save a small goshawk that had fallen out ofits nest,' ' he said. ''We had to get there before it got eaten and before it got too dark for us to safely return down the side ofthe mountain." Rescuing hawks was not his only duty this summer, however. ''We had to learn how to use scientific instruments and take correct data. Inaccurate data is useless, so we had to be very meticulous," he said. These and other similar internship experiences helped students increase their confidence in their ability to succeed,while gaining valuable references and making a network of connections with prospective employers. Such real job experiences may have been the difference between just getting a job after graduation and landing the "j ob of a lifetime." - Hallie Bell Julie Ba rtley - an Diego, Calif. Elementary Education . GATA. Dean' Li t, Kappa Delta Pi , TEACH, Univer ity ingers. Amanda Bawcom - earcy, Ark . Nursing. Ko Jo Kai. Campaign (Africa ). Club Queen, Intramural , Who's Who. Jay Bawcom - Searcy, Ark. English Education . Ryan Beard - Fort Collins, Colo. Music . TNT. HUF, University Chorus. anes a Bearden - Ledyard , Conn. Graphic Design. Alpha Chi, Campus Mini try, HUF, Intramurals, JOY, Kappa Pi, Phi Eta Sigma, Red Brick Studios. Clay Bea on - Forney, Texa . Elementary/Special Education. eminoles. Alpha hi Am. Studie , Campaigns (Honduras , Colorado), Club Beau Council for Exceptional Children, Dean's List, Intercollegiate Athletic (Football , Track), Omicron Delta Kappa. Troy Bendickson - Grand Island, eb. Music Education/Vocational Ministry. Chi igma Alpha . Alpha Chi, Am. Choral Directors, Belles and Beaux, Club Beau, C-MENC, Concert Choir, Dean's List , Kappa Delta Pi , Phi Eta Sigma , Student Movie Comm., Who's Who . Angela Berry - Hot Spring Ark. Psychology . Transfer (University of Central Arkansas ). OEGE . Club Queen. Larry Billing - Horseshoe Bend, Ark. Math. Theta Tau Delta . College Republicans . Meli a Bingman - Marshall , Ill . Psychology. Kappa Gamma Epsilon. Band, Club Queen, College Republicans, Dean's Li t, Psi Chi. Alli on Birdwell - Sterling Heights , Mich. Dietetics. Ko Jo Kai . Alpha Chi Dietetic , Intramurals . Jeremy Bishop- Little Rock, Ark. Kinesiology/ Business. Kappa igma Kappa. Intercollegiate Athletics , Intramurals. 46 Seniors Phil McKinney rinses off the pavilion at Berryhill Park in Searcy after a hot summer day's work at Kids for Christ, a day camp for fourth through sixth graders held by the Downtown Church of Christ each summer. McKinn ey's internship with Downtown added valuable hands-on experience in dealing with young people to the youth ministry degree he received in May. Photo by Todd Miller.
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