My Role In Depth

Hailey Capps, Christian Love, Sahra Ibrahim, and (myself) Karen Ocampo during our site visit to IslandWood’s Graduate Program on Bainbridge Island. This immersive 10-month residency prepares educators through a justice-oriented environmental lens.

As an ECO Intern with the UW College of Education’s Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion (OSDI), I collaborated with a dedicated team to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts supporting historically underrepresented student populations, including BIPOC, international, first-generation, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ students.

My role involved student advocacy, program coordination, and outreach. I hosted weekly office hours to provide culturally responsive peer support and connected students to campus resources for academic success, financial planning, and personal development. I partnered with graduate staff to support retention and amplify student voices in college committees focused on diversity and student advancement.

I contributed to planning and executing a variety of events such as student socials, orientation sessions, and graduation celebrations, fostering community and belonging both virtually and in person.

On the communications front, I managed OSDI’s social media presence and created engaging digital content using tools like Canva. I also maintained outreach with prospective students from diverse backgrounds and collaborated with campus partners, including OMAD, ECC, and the Q Center, to ensure students accessed culturally relevant support.

This internship deepened my commitment to equity-focused student affairs work, enhanced my leadership and communication skills, and provided hands-on experience in creating inclusive programming that supports student success and fosters community in higher education.

Final Reflection on Internship Objectives and Outcomes (Work Plan)

During my internship, I met many of the organizational and personal goals I had set for myself, including completing a final project, supporting ongoing programming, and engaging in meaningful outreach with students, staff, and faculty. I grew significantly in event planning, communication, and professional relationship-building—skills I practiced through platforms like Microsoft Teams, email, and in-person collaboration. I developed deep connections with my team at OSDI, including fellow interns and supervisors, and gained insight into various educational and career paths available to me, including considering graduate school for the first time. While I didn’t meet every networking goal (like connecting on LinkedIn), I built genuine relationships rooted in mutual respect and learning. Most importantly, I experienced immense personal growth by reflecting on my own identity, embracing vulnerability, and learning from those around me. This internship deepened my understanding of human connection, intersectionality, and the emotional complexities within higher education, leaving me both humbled and grateful.