Elizabeth Garlick is currently representing Clarion University in The Harrisburg Internship Semester. One student from each of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools is able to participate in a hands-on government internship.
For some college students, the thought of graduation and entrance into the real world can be scary. Some even prolong their college career as long as possible. For Elizabeth Garlick, a junior history major, the real world has come in the form of a 15 week internship.
After reading a campus wide email regarding a unique opportunity for students with at least a 3.5 GPA and 45 credits Garlick became curious. After some investigating, she found that the program was offered through the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and gave the participant the opportunity to work within the government while earning 15 credits.
The program is called The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS). THIS takes one student from each of the state schools. After an application and interview process Garlick was chosen to represent Clarion University in Harrisburg.
Garlick started in the program on Jan. 20 and said that the internship has given her so many valuable lessons she could not have received through college courses or a summer job.
“I have worked during summers and breaks before, but never in this sort of an environment,” she said.
Garlick spends her day doing research for the Department of Public Welfare. Her office is located roughly 200 yards from the Capitol building and she can be found there every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The research she does varies from day to day, but she has been doing a lot of work with the stimulus bill.
“I know more about the stimulus project than I’ll ever need to know,” Garlick said.
Garlick, who has been very active with rugby, Relay for Life, Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Eta Sigma and history club at Clarion prefers the internship over college. While this type of work may seem boring to the average student, Garlick enjoys every aspect of her job.
“I find it interesting because I absolutely adore research, so it’s fun,” she said.
Garlick said she enjoys the program more than attending school and feels that it is easier as well.
“You know everyday what you need to do, I prefer it over going to class,” she said. “Nobody’s going to be throwing many curve balls your way.”
When not in the office, Garlick earns credits for attending weekly seminars. The seminars are conducted by government personnel and usually last for an hour.
“We talk about different issues that are occurring in government,” she said. “Each week we do some type of case work on each speaker to have some background knowledge on the speaker and can ask educated questions.”
Another three credits come from a research paper she is required to write. Garlick’s paper which will be roughly 30 pages long, examines nursing home transitions. The paper is to make recommendations to public policy.
Aside from working with government research and listening to lectures, Garlick has also had the opportunity to meet fellow students from across the world through her housing arrangement. She describes her housing as a “Nair sized apartment.” The housing is international and provides accomodations for students from across the world that are interning or attending school in Harrisburg.
“It is interesting because we all turn up our music and listen to music, but not everyone’s is English,” she said. “You walk down the hall and hear all types of different cultures.”
Garlick says she is very happy with her decision to participate in this internship. She suggests everyone engage in something that will help with their future.
“I have had so many opportunities because of this program,” she said.
Following graduation, Garlick says she hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in social work.
“It would allow me to work on the bigger issues in society opposed to working with individual cases and people. It would allow me to possibly work with state and federal issues,” she said.
