Social work major finds purpose in school-based internship

It was more than just an internship. It was a full-circle experience that connected classroom lessons to real-world impact for Kayla Parks, a senior Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg social work major.

Parks gave back to her Philadelphia community this past summer by interning at a local school specializing in dealing with troubled youth, where she helped develop a peer mediation program designed to address student conflict. The role allowed her to step into a leadership position and put her learned social work skills to the test.

“Social work offers so many different career paths,” Parks said. “I wanted the chance to get involved in new experiences. Seeing that I would be doing social work in a school environment is what really piqued my interest.”

Her decision to take on a school-based internship paid off in unexpected ways. As part of her daily responsibilities, Parks worked with nine students, teaching them the fundamentals of conflict management and communication. She drew directly from concepts taught in her social work courses, bringing theory to life through practice.

“In my internship, I taught the kids about the basics and dimensions of conflict,” Parks said. “I use the counseling techniques I learned in my ‘Social Work Practice with Individuals’ class … especially active listening. To be able to teach my students the very skills I just finished learning last semester felt like a full-circle moment.”

Parks credits Bloomsburg’s social work program for providing the foundation she needed to succeed in the field. Taught from a generalist perspective, the program exposes students to the wide range of areas within social work and prepares them to adapt to different situations.

“I’m deeply appreciative for the preparation the program has given me,” Parks said. “We’re taught in a generalist practice, which helps us gain knowledge in so many different areas. I was able to use those skills to develop the peer mediation program in my own way.”

Still, Parks admits that no amount of textbook knowledge can fully prepare someone for the realities of the field.

“Something we always hear in class is that you can’t always go by the book,” she said. “When you’re out there, you’re really in the field. I kept that in mind while creating lesson plans and activities.”

Looking back, she says the relationships she built with her students have been the most rewarding part of the experience. Initially unsure whether school social work was for her, the internship changed her perspective.

“Taking this internship gave me experience in an area I wasn’t sure about,” Parks said. “It’s opened my eyes and has me rethinking what I want to do after graduation. It’s made making career decisions harder — but it has also completely confirmed that I want to work with kids.”