There鈥檚 no substitute for hands-on experience, whether the learning lab is connected to a class or outside of it in the working world. 鈥楤erg students are encouraged to complete internships as a way to prepare them for their careers, further develop their skills and begin to network for their futures. This week, we feature five students who completed internships that will help them take the next step after graduation.
After interning with the Williamson County Courthouse in Illinois, senior Stephanie Cluck has reaffirmed her chosen career path.
Williamson County sits in southern Illinois, about halfway between St. Louis and Nashville. With roughly 66,000 people, the county could be a similar comparison to that of Tiffin鈥檚 Seneca County.
鈥淢y grandma is from that area,鈥 Stephanie said, referring to Williamson County, 鈥渁nd she knew just about everyone there.鈥 Her grandmother鈥檚 connection with the sheriff led her to the courthouse, where she was able to secure her internship under the Operations Officer.
Between traffic, juvenile and felony court, no two days were the same. Her busiest days came from traffic court which occurred on Wednesdays. 鈥淓very time you are ticketed or arrested, you get a case filed,鈥 she explained. 鈥淪ometimes it goes so fast that the attorneys can鈥檛 always keep up.鈥 Stephanie鈥檚 role was to document each case, which could range anywhere from speeding tickets to drunk driving.
Juvenile court saw more laid-back days, at least for Stephanie. 鈥淚 got a lot of experience being able to sit back and observe the court proceedings.鈥 The experience will come in handy as she strives to one day be a prison counselor. With a double major in psychology and criminology, she sees her two areas of study as a perfect fit.
As a big advocate for mental health, Stephanie has always had a passion for helping those who suffer from mental illnesses. 鈥淎s I got older, I noticed a lot of those people end up in jail because the right facilities and care just aren鈥檛 available for them.鈥 She鈥檚 hoping to devote her career to changing that.
Cases are often lengthy processes and she says that working at the courthouse will help her to understand what the inmates are going through. 鈥淚 think really it helped me gain perspective of the legal aspect of everything, which is really important.鈥
With tremendous understanding of the judicial process, and the psychological issues facing potential inmates, she plans to gain even more experience after graduating in May. Citing the high licensure passing ratings of the program, she plans to apply for the Master of Arts in Counseling program at Heidelberg in the fall of 2019.