Standout Intern

By Matt Hawkins

Sojourner White ’16, a psychology and Spanish double major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the Smith Career Center’s Intern/Co-Op of the Year for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Inspired by a Spring 2015 semester abroad in Grenada, Spain, White created her own internship to promote Bradley’s study abroad options through the International Programs Office.

“I wanted to give back to Bradley after my experience,” she said. “I wanted to make sure everyone knew the opportunities available to study abroad. Being a student who experienced it, I thought I could be a great addition to the office.”

White wrote a proposal and submitted it to International Programs Director Dr. Christine Blouch. Upon approval, White worked to make her dream a reality.

In the fall, White developed a program that relied on peer advising and student outreach. She built a presentation for classes and connected past study abroad participants with students as peer advisors. She finished the semester by writing a manual to guide future interns.

The experience brought together a toolbox of skills White gained from three previous internships, the semester abroad, positions with Residence Life, the admissions office and the Activities Council of Bradley University.

Organization, time management, public speaking in two languages and multimedia communication were among the abilities enhanced by the internship. She also learned crisis management and contingency planning when she worked through implications of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks.

“Working in the IPO showed me how I can utilize all these skills in one career,” White said. “It helped me see that a major doesn't necessarily dictate your career path, but an internship is the best way to test what you’ve learned and discover the career for you.”

White’s internship capped an active four years on the Hilltop that took her career hopes to unexpected places. Though graduate school is a priority, she plans to explore teaching and volunteering opportunities abroad first.

“I never thought I would create an internship or consider a career in international education when I came to Bradley,” she said. “However, each experience I had impacted my next one. I discovered my passion for working with students, education, languages and international service because of these experiences.”