Crew Leader Internship

by Jaclyn Bosse

At Christopher Newport, it’s highly recommended you get an internship whether you’re a member of the President’s Leadership Program or not. There are so many opportunities for students to get involved. The way I was able to complete my internship requirement as a rising sophomore was through being an orientation leader over the summer.

Freshman year was a spectacular experience for me, and I remembered my crew leader during orientation really started my year off on the right foot. When I got the email that the university was opening up crew leader positions I knew that was the internship for me. I desperately wanted to share all of my wonderful experiences with the individuals who would be going down the same path. The internship was over the summer, which lasted for the whole month of June, and I loved every second of the experience.

Being a rising sophomore and conducting freshman orientation really allowed for me to connect with the students and give them fresh outlooks on how to navigate the university. I told them my successes and obstacles I found challenging, so they could hopefully do better than I did as a first-year student. I had a lot of fun providing them with insights that only a student here could know and in general I strove to keep the conversation open and honest.

I made so many friends through this internship, rising freshmen and fellow crew leaders alike. I learned how to remain calm in stressful situations and help my other crew members stay on their feet. I grew confidence to lead a team and truly discovered how much I loved this university when I was asked to represent it through this internship.