Haeley Dirksen participates in semester-long internship

2014 Jan 28

Haeley Dirksen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is spending much of the Dordt College spring semester interning at Whispering Heights Nursing Home in Rock Valley, Iowa. Dirksen is a senior majoring in social work.

These experiences are an excellent way for students to put their education into practice while continuing to learn in their field of study. Studies show that students who intern in college have an increased likelihood of being hired after graduation.

"Ideally through an internship experience, students learn how to communicate and collaborate with co-workers, to use their critical-thinking skills to solve problems, and experience firsthand what it might be like to work in a particular position," says Sarah Moss, Dordt College career development coordinator. "In some cases, internships are beneficial simply because students might discover what they don't want to do."

Dordt College students have opportunities to intern at local businesses as well as participate in internships throughout the United States and internationally through off-campus programs like Chicago Semester, Los Angeles Film Studies, and programs in the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Zambia, Kenya, and more. View opportunities at www.dordt.edu/academics/off_campus.

Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. U.S. News & World Report, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,400 students. To learn more about Dordt College, visit www.dordt.edu.