Mary Catherine Cunningham
This section of my website is a depiction of the internships I have completed thus far. Each internship I have carried out has shaped me into the person I am as well as strengthened the skills necessary to be a successful school counselor.
Auburn High School
I completed my Human Development and Family Studies Internship at Auburn High School serving as a school counseling intern completing over 450 hours. I was able to work alongside five different counselors learning an invaluable amount about the field.
While completing my internship, I was able to sit in on meetings with students daily. A month into my internship I had the opportunity to meet with students one-on-one to gain practice and skills in building relationships. While a part of these meetings, I have seen multiple cases of suicidal ideation, self harm, familial abuse, pregnancies, grief, gender identity, depression, and anxiety. It has been humbling and rewarding to walk through these things with students and provide them with resources to help. I feel prepared to deal with any situation a student may be struggling with due to the incredible experience I have gained at Auburn.
Another large part of my responsibilities as a counseling intern was preparing for and leading academic sessions with sophomores, juniors, and seniors. I completed credit checks where I used a student's transcript and compared it with graduation requirements in order to give students an idea of where they are academically. Furthermore, I led sessions with over fifty students where we went over the graduation requirements, transcript endorsements, standardized testing, and how to prepare for life after high school whether that be four year institutions, two year institutions, career technical programs, military, or the workforce.
Also at my internship, I was able to sit in on parent conferences, IEP meetings, and 504 meetings. Truthfully, I did not know what an IEP or 504 was until this internship. Gaining this knowledge will aid as a professional as I help students who have these accommodations in the future school I will work in.
I learned a great deal about school counseling while interning at Auburn High School. I learned how important it is for counselors to work alongside administration, teachers, and nurses to help students at every level. Furthermore, school counselors help students academically as well as with things such as family, social, and other issues that contribute to mental health. I have learned that counselors decompress with one another after a long or hard meeting with a student as a coping mechanism. Furthermore, it is important to always remain calm, keep a straight face, and create a safe environment where students feel comfortable being vulnerable.
Bangor, Northern Ireland
Bangor, a small coastal city located in Northern Ireland, was the site of a three month long internship I completed for a local church. The church was very small and located in the middle of one of the government housing estates in the city. My main responsibilities as an intern included planning and running events, administrative tasks, and working one-on-one with teens in the community.
As an intern, and one of three people on staff for the church, I was in charge of planning events for the children's, women, and youth ministries. I organized many different events such as picnics, brunches, walks, and other activities. This aspect of my internship strengthened my managerial skills. This will help me as a school counselor when I will manage hundreds of students in different grades.
Another skill I was able to refine was building relationships with students who come from a completely different background than me. I learned exactly what it looks like to interact easily and openly with students from a different country. I built solid relationships that blossomed into powerful and vulnerable connections with these students. I know this skill will help me as I meet with diverse populations.
This internship opened my eyes to the importance of going outside your comfort zone and experiencing a culture that is different from your own. I learned valuable skills while serving in Northern Ireland, and I know they will help me as a professional. This country will forever hold a place in my heart for opening my eyes to see how rich and rewarding it is to experience new cultures.