The IU Student Association chose freshman interns for the semester this past Sunday.
The 21 selected students were each assigned to work with a senior member of the administration and they will work with their mentor on whatever work the senior member is pursuing, said Daniel Niersbach, director of the freshman internship
program.
Iman Mahoui is a freshman intern assigned to work with Jessica Chiang, the chief of policy. Mahoui said he wants to work on issues involving sexual assault on campus, and she said she feels especially excited to be part of IUSA because many members of the administration bring new talent.
“It’s such a diverse and well-rounded program that does so many things and touches so many students,” Mahoui said. “It’s internal, it’s external. It works within IU, and it works with relations outside of IU. I really, really loved the idea of such an all-encompassing organization and to be able to be a part of that.”
Niersbach said the internship provides the opportunity to work directly on policy and projects, as well as take an eight-week course.
The course focuses on professional and leadership skills, such as compiling a résumé and different communication styles. It also offers opportunities to collaborate and talk to people from different parts of campus, such as Steve Veldkamp, assistant dean of students and director of Student Life and Learning.
“Being able to be introduced to IUSA, especially as a freshman, you learn so much about campus,” Mahoui said. “When you’re representing a campus, you have to try to learn everything about it — about the students, about the departments, about the campus itself, the physical environment. It’s definitely a way for me to get closer to campus, to be more involved, learn new things, and I don’t think there’s any better time to do that than as a freshman, which is why the program is super unique.”
The application process for becoming an intern had two parts. In the first part, interested freshmen sent in résumés and answered essay questions. Then, those who advanced participated in group interviews where they were asked questions, such as what area on campus they wanted to improve. They were also given a “case,” wherein the group worked together to solve a hypothetical problem.
Niersbach said the point of the group setting was to see who could lead from the front by asking questions and directing others, as well as lead from the back by listening to what others say and analyzing their ideas.
“We wanted to make sure they weren’t cutting other people out and weren’t afraid to step in,” Niersbach said. “Students who included teammates had the best
interviews.”
Niersbach said another goal of the internship program is long-term growth for IUSA. Many current senior staff members, including Niersbach, were once interns, and freshman interns can potentially return to IUSA as members of future
administrations.
However, Niersbach said, being a part of the internship program does not determine who can be involved with IUSA in the future and said IUSA members want anyone interested in making a difference on campus to get
involved.
“The resources and networks I was able to build have been probably one of the most rewarding parts of my freshman year because everyone in IUSA is driven to make campus better,” Niersbach said. “It inspired me to work harder and be better.”
