Internship at Penn State LGBTA Center
The Penn State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Ally (LGBTA) Student Resource Center focuses on educating students on sexual orientation issues in order to encourage acceptance and awareness. The LGBTA offers numerous internships for students in areas such as writing, programming and events, straight talks, office resources, Greek outreach, and racial and ethnic outreach.
Yvette Lerma (senior, sociology major) receives Penn State credit through LA 495 (Liberal Arts Internship) as a Straight Talks Pro and Assessment Intern at the center. Yvette was first introduced to this internship when she enrolled in BBH 251, a course taught by the LGBTA office directors. The course trains students to conduct straight talks, in which a student panelist runs an open dialogue forum on sexuality in Penn State classes.
Yvette typically works twelve hours a week, and deals specifically with the Straight Talks programming. Depending on what part of the semester it is, Yvette’s duties vary. She schedules Straight Talks dates and speakers, and trains students to become panelists so they can run the program on their own. In the beginning of the semester, Yvette runs the majority of the straight talks due to the fact that she is still training most of panelists. When Yvette trains panelists, she focuses on introducing them to the idea of public speaking and sharing their personal story in front of large audiences. The curriculum involves discussing social justice, practicing delivery of their personal statement, and going through an FAQ session with the trainees. Twice a semester, Yvette also speaks in BBH 251 about peer education. In addition to teaching, Yvette has been in the process of creating a Straight Talks Pro Guide Book. Yvette received the manual as a ten page guide when she first began her internship and transformed it into a forty-five page comprehensive guide to answering difficult questions for panelists.
One of Yvette’s memorable tasks over her two years as a Straight Talks intern was running a lecture for student affairs professionals about how to deal with transgender students and address gender questions. This experience helped her realize this internship could lead her to a career in college student affairs and that she wanted her future to involve educating. Through her internship, Yvette came to realize she greatly enjoys working with and educating college students, and hopes to attend graduate school and get a masters in College Student Affairs. She aspires to one day be the director of an LGBTA center while simultaneously teaching LGBTA focused college courses.
Yvette recommends LGBTA internships to students who are patient and who are willing to develop strong public speaking skills through experience. Additionally, Yvette mentions that it is important for all interns to be passionate about LGBTA issues. Students interested in hearing more about Yvette’s internship experience can contact her at yil5036@psu.edu.
If you are interested in an internship with LGBTA for the 2010-11 academic year, see the recent LAUS Announcement post for details. Please note that the application deadline is Friday, March 5, 2010.