Ning Rong Yan ’19
Winter intern: Tri Upward Bound Program at Pace University
Award: Nancy Lynn Porter ’43
Major: Undecided
A commitment to service: “I chose this internship with TRIO Upward Bound Program because it is run by a nonprofit organization. I’ve engaged in different community service activities and always was interested in working in nonprofits. The second reason, and also the biggest reason, is the program matched my interest in education. When I was a high school senior, I heard about the academic workload in college and the enormous amount of reading and writing—but what often is not discussed are all the other things one will experience in addition to what is required of you in the classroom.”
Paving the path to success: “My duties included working with and assisting Upward Bound staff members, including the director of the program and the director of college counseling. I conducted scholarship research and developed a readable and useable database that updated the program’s student alumnae/i database. While working with other Upward Bound staff, I provided mentoring services to current high school seniors in the program, including providing advice and guidance about the college experience.”
Skill building: “My biggest challenge was developing a readable database using Excel. I haven’t used Excel much before, so it was challenging navigating the program at first. However, the director of college counseling was very patient and helpful. He walked me through the process of setting up an organized database.”
Mentorship: “My favorite moment on the job was sitting down and talking to high school students in groups, and sharing my narrative as a first-year student at Wheaton. I enjoyed when these high school students asked questions about college with such a curiosity and positive attitude—picturing their own college experience in the future.”
Hands-on experience: “I’m in the process of framing a precise career plan as I explore potential majors. Although I’m working with uncertainty, this internship did serve as a great hands-on opportunity that allowed me to experiment with one of my interests, provided the experience of working in an office, and introduced me to different kinds of work in the field of education. This opportunity also helped me see more of the sensitive issues my generation faces as we pursue higher education. I will keep thinking about these issues and what could I do to better to help the situation as I continue with my Wheaton education.”
Winter internships
Wheaton College’s Filene Center for Academic Advising and Career Services offers the Winternship initiative each year. It allows students to travel around the globe working in schools, health clinics, nonprofit organizations and corporate settings. Return to main page