In probably the most valuable lesson of the summer, I began to see how the various problems of poverty, drugs, and poor education feed into each other and tend to stifle any long-term change from taking place; and for things to get better, more motivated people are needed to invest their time into making such public works happen. Beginning this program, I thought I would pursue a medical degree, but going forward, the Courier Program has made me consider taking time to serve in a more rural, underserved setting.
James Rasmussen ’19, Frontier Nursing University Courier Program, Lexington, KY
Working with the Homicide Unit at the Office of the State Attorney has been one of the most enriching and educational experiences of my life. . . This internship has definitely strengthened my interest in selecting Comparative Literature as my primary major. . . I frequently used a critical lens to think about the facts of these cases with every individual in mind; attorneys, defendants, witnesses, and victims. Comparative Literature is a field that stresses analytical processing of text and media forms from different cultures and traditions, which will be beneficial for any element of work within the criminal justice system.
Sophia Torries ’21, Office of State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Fort Myers, FL
Over the course of eight weeks, I penned 21 stories for The Berkshire Eagle, reporting and photographing for its features department. I met all sorts of people—artists, musicians, workers—in communities across Berkshire County. . . [One] story I wrote found its way to NBC’s Al Roker, who then produced his own segment for the TODAY Show. On that morning’s program, Al credited the Eagle for the tip: “I actually first saw this story in a great little paper called The Berkshire Eagle.”
Daniel Jin ’20, The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA
Now, I better understand my future place in the medical system, and am inspired to seriously consider a specialty in ophthalmology. Additionally, I feel as though I helped address a specific need in our society — the need for more comprehensive care strategies for those who may develop blindness, a potentially devastating disability. Serving these people in my own community, by meeting with them in the clinical setting and working in the laboratory on their behalf, has been extremely gratifying.
Grace Kromm ’20, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA
Working for the Committee granted me a surprising level of access which, in turn, allowed me to develop an understanding of the operations of the Federal Government: how space policy is created and implemented, and the changing landscape of the aerospace industry. . . Thanks to my time with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I am more motivated and capable to embark on a career in aerospace.
Brendan Rosseau ’19, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC
I have elected to continue studying Spanish in order to solidify a skill that is imperative to working in the immigration field. In addition, I now know that learning more about immigration and its history in the United States will be a major component of my education. This internship has pushed me to realize how much of a difference one person can make for others, and how necessary it is to have more people who are as dedicated as KIND’s staff to preserve the rights of those who have no defenses.
Clare Rogowski ’21, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Los Angeles, CA
My experience at Kountable improved my active knowledge of statistical data analysis, data visualization, and data management while helping me acquire new skills in areas such as business development, regulatory compliance, and policymaking. . . The experience I had this summer inspired me to continue working on my dream of becoming a data scientist. . . working on this project improved my working knowledge of MySQL and R programming languages. As a rising mathematics and computer science double major, I believe this experience will be of immense help to me both inside and outside the classroom, especially in my class on Bayesian statistics this coming fall.
Borivoje (Boro) Vitezovic ’20, Kountable, San Francisco, CA
I am a contract major in Critical Health Studies which combines the fields of sociology, philosophy, and neuroscience. . . The primary reason for obtaining this internship specifically was that it will serve as the basis for my senior year thesis. . . This internship was the perfect opportunity to further my interests and academic goals in relation to the social sciences and humanities, while simultaneously allowing me to gain research experience in the clinical world that will be indispensable to my future should I hope to apply to medical school someday.
Isabel Torres ’19, Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge, MA
The entire project demanded me to develop competency in various areas including conducting literature reviews to survey past Bitcoin research papers, writing asynchronous scripts with JavaScript and node.js, understanding and unrolling the Bitcoin blockchain. . . This newfound knowledge complements greatly the computer science curriculum at Williams, which provides a sound theoretical foundation but often includes fewer courses on applications. I definitely have had the chance to see how the concepts I learned in class are employed in a research setting, as well as how academia and the industry are often closely intertwined in the tech scene.
Quan Do ’19, Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL
Having lived in Boston for most of my life, the problem of homelessness is something that I see almost every day. This internship has deepened my desire to continue to fight and advocate for better healthcare for homeless individuals, better living conditions in the shelters, and in general, working towards ending homelessness.
Mariane St. Juste ’21, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Boston, MA
This internship experience has reinforced my passion for both political science and youth political engagement. It has also instilled in me the importance of bipartisanship within the political process. Because of this, I hope to choose more courses with professors that offer a dissenting point of view to counter my largely progressive views, so that I am exposed to new perspectives. Furthermore, I believe that this will teach me how to constructively debate, and compromise.
Benjamin Beiers ’20, Millennial Action Project, Washington, DC
On a broader level, Breakthrough allowed me to understand the depth and complexity of education today, and why it is necessary and deeply urgent to commit to educational change. In schools, the lack of resources and overworked staff make it challenging to provide students with the education they deserve. . . I have certainly developed more patience and humility, as there is nothing more humbling than working with thirteen-year-olds.
Olivia Goodheart ’19, Breakthrough Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
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