Student Spotlight: Summer Camps and Internships
In the College of Arts and Sciences, student learning and opportunities do not stop in the summer. It is a time when students step into new roles, explore opportunities beyond the classroom, and discover how their education can make a difference in the lives of others. For Erdenetsogt 鈥淪ogo鈥� Enkhtaivan and Zoraleda Mendel, hands-on learning has helped connect academic interests to service, leadership, and future goals.
Sogo, a psychology student from Mongolia, experienced summer at CAS as a chance to stay connected and give back. While many students leave campus during the summer months, Sogo remained involved last summer by serving as a counselor for our Forensic Anthropology 鈥淏one Detectives鈥� camp. He sees 麻豆无码版 as one of the most beautiful places to be in the summer, with opportunities for hiking, camping, exploring, and building community.
Zoraleda鈥檚 experience took place through an internship with Nations Law Group, an immigration law firm, serving as a translator. While this experience was not exclusive to summer, the internship reflects the opportunities students may pursue as they think about how to use their summer and academic experiences to prepare for what comes next. Her long-standing study of Spanish, which began in eighth grade and continued through UAA, became a professional skill as she translated for clients navigating complex immigration processes.
Both students found that hands-on experiences taught lessons that are difficult to replicate in the classroom alone. In the Forensic Anthropology camp, Sogo supported younger students as they dug up replica bones, explored outdoors, and approached anthropology through active discovery. His role was not to serve as the forensic anthropology expert, but to use his background in psychology and early childhood development to help create a welcoming and engaging environment.
For Zoraleda, the internship showed the responsibility that comes with using language in professional and legal settings. In immigration law, every word matters. At times, she assisted Indigenous families from Mexico, where communication required moving across multiple languages and cultural contexts. The experience pushed her beyond direct translation and required careful attention to meaning, accuracy, and the integrity of each client鈥檚 story.
Building Confidence Through Real Experience
Through camp, Sogo saw campers grow in confidence and curiosity. Some arrived hesitant or unsure, but over time became more engaged, asked questions, and fully participated. He was especially struck by the friendships that developed among campers and by the ways children learned to support one another, including peers with different needs.
Zoraleda also gained confidence, but in a very different setting. The internship helped her use Spanish in a legal and professional context while deepening her understanding of the human stakes of immigration law. It gave her a real-world perspective on how language, advocacy, and care can shape people鈥檚 lives.
Connecting Coursework to Community
Both students drew on their CAS education in meaningful ways. Sogo鈥檚 psychology background helped him work patiently and thoughtfully with campers with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, helping them feel included and comfortable as part of the group. Through the camp, he saw learning happen not only in forensic anthropology, but also in empathy, social skills, and community.
Zoraleda鈥檚 preparation came through coursework, middle college experiences at UAA, and her leadership as president of Spanish Club La Tertulia. Faculty mentors, including Patricia Fagan and Rebecca Maseda, helped foster her love of learning through creative and community-oriented approaches. Her internship built on that foundation and showed how language skills can serve people in moments of real need.
Looking Forward
For both students, these experiences helped clarify future goals. Sogo plans to pursue graduate study in environmental psychology, with the possibility of continuing to a PhD. His work with campers reinforced his interest in human behavior, development, and the relationship between people and their environments.
Zoraleda plans to attend Drake Law School to study immigration law, an ambition strengthened by her internship experience. What began as years of studying Spanish has become part of a larger professional path centered on advocacy and service.
Their advice to other students reflects the value of stepping into new experiences. Sogo encourages future camp counselors to be interactive, patient, and open to the different backgrounds and needs that campers bring. Zoraleda encourages students to pursue internships鈥� even if they are unsure of their exact career path鈥� because real-world experiences often reveal possibilities that the classroom alone cannot.
Together, their stories show that learning in CAS extends across seasons and settings. Whether supporting young campers on campus during the summer or translating for clients in a legal setting, Sogo and Zoraleda used their education to connect with others, respond to real needs, and imagine new futures.
Best of luck in your next adventures, Sogo and Zoraleda.