A closer look at my Internship

This semester I will be doing my internship with a program at Arizona State University called TRIO Student Support Services. Student Support Services (SSS) is just one of the eight different TRIO programs around the nation, each one of these programs is designed to serve a different demographic of students. SSS serves ASU students who are first generation, are low income or have some type of physical disability. TRIO does not get to determine if a student has a physical disability or not, that is determined by the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at ASU. Due to the confidentiality policy that the DRC operates under TRIO is not allowed to get any details on what the disability of any given student is, we only need the DRC to confirm the students registration. One does not have to meet all three requirements however; the program does give priority to those who need it the most. All TRIO programs are funded by the federal government therefore, each one of them has limits on terms of the number of students each program can serve. In the case of TRIO SSS the number is 150.

            I have several roles in TRIO; one of them is being an academic coach for new incoming freshman. I was assigned three students with majors similar to mine and I get to meet with them twice a month to provide extra support and answer any questions they might have. In other words, my job is to provide the necessary resources for them to be successful here at ASU. Sometimes their questions or concerns might be personal rather than academic, having these types of meeting might be a little intimidating for someone who is just an undergraduate but I am happy to know they feel confortable around me. As an undergraduate I might not always have the most detailed information to a specific topic however, tanks to TRIO I have made different connections around the university and that allows me to refer my students to someone that can answer their questions.

            I am also a receptionist; this has allowed me to build closer relationships with students who come in and out of the office a lot. Most TRIO students are now familiar with me and feel very confortable when asking for help. As a receptionist I get to manage student data and plan workshops for our students. Coworkers and I try to create a friendly environment in the office to make students feel welcome.