How does an NYU internship make two graduate students into professionals
By Rachel Grottola UA’24 and Jessica Montalvo UA’24 and Jim Stellar
We three wanted to write about the idea of two UAlbany undergraduates who are master’s degree students at NYU and about to enter their internship, which they have to figure out in spring 2026 term. How do they do that?
In the beginning of the semester we received a timeline of where we should be regarding applying to practicum which we found very helpful because it helps keep us organized. Around this time (December) students should be working on cover letters for something like 10 places to do the internship. What helped me navigate the internship process was having open communication with my advisor, classmates and professors. Additionally, the mentorship and feedback has strengthened my skills as a counselor and has encouraged my professional growth. The support and structure provided by the program have played a significant role in preparing me to work with my own clients during practicum in a couple of months.
As we began to start this process it felt very overwhelming due to the high volume of applications we have to complete while still being full time graduate students. With the constant presence of our todo list at a high pressure school we have been experiencing stress, anticipation and imposter syndrome. Although this process has been challenging we are also excited and hopeful to develop our skills through meaningful experiences once we start our internships. While we are excited to start this next chapter of our education, balancing our school work while applying and interviewing for internships makes our todo list feel never ending. We are finding it helpful to dedicate winter break to focusing on internship applications as to leave more time to focus on school work during the spring semester. It has been important in managing feelings of overwhelm by focusing on current tangible tasks such as completing resumes, cover letters and researching internship sites.
I (JS) think that having a task right on top of you drives your work from the perspective of cognitive emotional integration – a theme of this blog series? The answer may have to do with the same property of the internship itself compared to the classroom and that is presence. When you are present, the mind is concentrated by immediacy which is maybe a gift of the limbic system. It is not quite full stress, but the threat of failure looms and so a milder form of stress might concentrate the neocortex in the same way that arousal has an optimal level for performance somewhere between low (no engagement) and high (fractured behavior). Presence is an interesting quality. Imagine someone coming physically close and then getting too close. That is uncomfortable, but it is also riveting. If the heart and head are working together, this is the heart kicking the head in the butt and getting it moving.
(RG) After applying to about ten sites in January and waiting a few weeks for responses I started setting up interviews. Surprisingly the interviews were no longer than twenty minutes where I was only asked a few basic questions. This was surprising because the pressure of applying, interviewing and choosing a site felt so heavy. Rather than being quick and simple I expected it to be extremely time consuming and difficult. As I started to receive rejections the feelings of stress, anticipation and imposter syndrome returned. However, I received an offer from a site about a month after starting the application process. I struggled with whether or not to take it. In the past I have worked at a community based setting working with children and adolescents and wanted a similar experience. However, this site was a private practice that treats mostly adults. Ultimately, I decided to take it because I thought of the advice given to me by professors and advisors which was to stay open minded and open to new experiences.
I am feeling both excited and nervous to start this internship in two months from now. I am feeling excited to work in a capacity that I have never experienced before and put all I have been learning to practice. But with this also comes feelings of self-doubt and worries that I will not be able to do enough to help my clients. My previous work experience was very team based and structured. We had specific goals to achieve and often collaborated to achieve them. A private practice seems to contrast this, they are much more independent which makes it feel more intimidating. While I am nervous about this transition I am hopeful that I will be able to improve my skills and grow as a professional during the year long internship.
(JM) I am currently continuing applying to internship sites and I have two scheduled interviews coming up soon. As the interviews approach, I notice a mix of feeling excitement and nervousness. I feel grateful for these opportunities andI am looking forward to both opportunities, as they each offer unique experiences. One site is for a private practice working with adults which would further develop my individual counseling skills. The other site is a community based organization working with adults facing systemic inequities. This setting particularly interests me because of its focus on advocacy and social justice and addressing environmental factors that impact mental health. I am still exploring what population I want to work with long term and am leaning towards working young adults. However, I am open to gaining new experiences and getting out of my comfort zone to gain new skills and broaden my clinical perspective. Ultimately, I am eager to learn and grow and make the most of whichever opportunity allows me to continue developing my counseling skills.
We are going to leave the story here as it ends nicely on the heart type implications of getting an internship. Later we will come back and talk about the effects of those internships on professional growth as noted in the title.
