Video 3: Social Sciences
Advocacy & Civic Engagement
Question: Describe your internship and how it shaped your professional goals.

Speaker: Joshua Graf, BS
UMUC Alumnus
Gerontology '13

Yes, my internship was a very good experience, both academically and personally. I was lucky enough to have a close friend that knows the CEO of Seabury Resources for Aging, so I got in contact with him, and he in turn gave me information to the volunteer coordinator for Age in Place. And Age in Place is just one branch of Seabury Resources for Aging.

Age in Place is a nonprofit organization in DC, and it is a free service for low-income seniors in wards 4 and 5 of DC to do housework and yard work. And as my role as volunteer coordinator, I would go out to the seniors' home, introduce myself, meet them, see what their needs were, and then devise a plan of action for the volunteer groups to go out to their home and do the service that they requested. I would lead groups that would come in from all over the US, and these volunteer groups, I would take them to the seniors' homes and we would complete their tasks, and they would be able to interact with the seniors while we were there.

Part of your internship does require you to sign up for an online class. And in that class, you will be required to write several papers over the semester of your internship. There will be other social science students in your class, along with your mentor, who will be a professor from UMUC. And what I really found helpful was getting the feedback from my mentor throughout the entire internship.

Overall, the lesson that I took away from all of my gerontology courses was the intergenerational aspect. The intergenerational relationships are very vital for older adults, and with my experience with my internship at Age in Place, day in and out I would see the relationship that the young volunteers would have with the seniors in their homes. I had to obviously interview for my internship with Age in Place, which I’d not interviewed in several years. So this was a very good refresher course for my interviewing skills. Also with internship, I had to learn to use the database that they used and other computer software that helped me to be able to use new computer skills once I left the internship. And the last thing, also, I got to meet many different people in the DC area that worked in the aging services as well, and so I was able to network with them, and I also have their information now, after the internship, and I’m able to network with them for possible jobs.

Stay connected with the people with whom you intern. Those people, down the road, may find out of a new position somewhere and they can contact you, and you’ve got that connection. Also, I would say, sign up for conferences in your area. As for me, if you’re in gerontology, look for aging conferences that are going in your local area. Also, I suggest signing up for any e-mail newsletters that pertain to your field. Personally, I like to pick up The Beacon, which is a monthly newspaper produced here in the DC-metro area, and it is vital information for both seniors and caregivers. And finally, stay connected with UMUC. If you, once you graduate and you finish your internship, and you ever have questions about your field, contact your department of your major, even after graduation. They are more than willing to help.