<p>hey...I applied for an internship with Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) and I got a call last week that I was accepted. I'm definitely going to do that internship, but it's only 1-5 every day except for Friday.</p>
<p>I also would like to intern somewhere in addition to the Congressman's office. I've secured an internship at the Center for Inquiry - a nonprofit committed to secular humanism. CFI also hosts several debates, coordinates educational programs, and produces two publications that all have to do with promoting a more rational, ethical world. In addition, I've secured an internship at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)'s civil rights legal division.</p>
<p>Here is my debate - I founded the Young Philosophers Society (philosophy club in my school with English department head as supervisor - we've studied various Socratic dialogs as well as The Republic, next year we're studying Guide to the Perplexed). So the CFI would be consistent with that, and my entire motivation to go to Columbia is its intellectual intensity as well as its well known diversity of people and thought. I also intend to major in philosophy.</p>
<p>BUT the NAACP internship is also consistent with how I will present myself because I co-founded the Global Awareness Project (a group that meets weekly in my school to discuss infractions of civil rights worldwide and we have also organized guest speakers to come and make presentations to our entire student body). Also, as a student coming from a private Jewish school, I need to look as "desiring of diversity" as possible. Don't think that I'm exploiting the NAACP, I specifically contacted the NAACP because of the cases it has been involved in throughout U.S. history that I've learned about this year in school.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm equally interested in both of these internships and they are both consistent with what I've been participating in throughout high school....so what do you think????? Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you</p>
<p>Do you have any idea what you would exactly be doing? I'm a parent but when I was in school there were some internships where you just stuffed envelopes and there were some where you actually did something interesting. I would go with the one where they will take the time to involve you in meaningful assignments.</p>
<p>In the Center for Inquiry I'll be doing some clerical stuff like that, but I will also work on a project based on my interests in philosophy and compile something useful to the organization based on that project.</p>
<p>For the NAACP, I'll also be doing some clerical stuff but I will also sit in on committee discussions on specific cases and I will shadow one of their lawyers so that I can learn more about actual civil rights law.</p>
<p>And just to give you an example - last summer I interned at TreePeople, a nonprofit environmental organization in Los Angeles. I came in with the internship description being totally clerical. But I voiced that I wanted to work on something real, so I met with the heads of the various branches within TreePeople and I decided to write an article for a local publication about TP's educational programs. Then, I worked with the Grants Associate to learn more about TP's funding and its relationship with the government.</p>
<p>By the end of my internship, I singlehandedly authored a grant proposal to the Tribune Foundation for $15,000. It was a great experience</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. They both sound interesting so that is a difficult decision. Are you thinking of going to law school eventually? If so then the NAACP would give you some insight into whether you really want to be a lawyer. Could you possibly do both - go to one place two days a week and then the other place a different two days a week or do one now and the other after school starts in the fall? I am assuming none of these are paid so money isn't a factor. It sounds like you will have an interesting summer either way.</p>
<p>Ya, I want to go to law school after college. Do you think that would like too much though? three internships in one summer?</p>
<p>At a non-profit where I worked a few years ago I supervised a student intern for a while. It was a bit of a challenge to come up with things for him to do and then it took a lot of time to explain everything to him. So they might appreciate you only coming in twice a week. You sound like a quick learner but there is still a time commitment on their part to work with you. So that was my logic in suggesting that you go to each organization for a shorter period of time. </p>
<p>If that seems too confusing or difficult to balance three different organizations the NAACP position would probably be more helpful in allowing you to figure out if you enjoy law or not and then you might be able to use that information in writing your college essays. Maybe you could still volunteer for the third organization as you have time. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Ya, good point...there is a lot of excess time. Thanks for the advice!</p>