“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.” — Shannon L. Alder, author and therapist

I recently became the student engagement coordinator for the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University, working alongside our new director, Leah Murray. Together we have a great vision of the institute moving forward, including bolstering civic engagement, student engagement and voter engagement, both on campus and in the community.

In my new role, I’ll be focusing on student engagement, with internships being a major part of that focus. I’m a big proponent of internships because they’re a great way for students to gain valuable experience, exercise existing skills, apply knowledge in their coursework, and get new insight. In a 2019 survey conducted by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, “93% of executives and 94% of hiring managers say that they would be more likely to hire a recent graduate who has held an internship or apprenticeship with a company or organization.”

Each semester, I have the opportunity to recruit and place students in different internships. One of the internships we offer is with our congressional delegation at both the federal and district levels. Students are given the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., for a semester to serve as an intern. For some of them, this is the first time living away from home or working in a professional atmosphere. They’re stepping far outside their comfort zone to pursue something that will give them a greater understanding of how politics work.

To help them with this transition, we have a mentor in place: former Walker Institute intern Abdiel Vazquez, who now lives in D.C. Abe has been a great help to the students, meeting with them within the first week they arrive, taking them to dinner, and giving them the encouragement and reassurance they need in their new situation. This contact continues throughout their time in D.C. I’m always amazed at the growth we see in that short 16-week internship. They come back with stories of things they learned, connections they made and memories that will last a lifetime.

This semester, Weber State sent 10 students to intern at the state Legislature. When a legislator is elected and goes to the Capitol for the session, they’re not given any staff. So, universities across Utah provide 96 students who serve as their chiefs of staff, social media directors, bill trackers and appointment keepers, among other roles. Each Wednesday during the legislative session, I travel to the Capitol to meet with my interns and have lunch with them. We talk about what they’re learning and how they’re dealing with any issues they’re encountering.

Last week, I had former Weber State students who had all interned during the session come and speak about their time as legislative interns. Each of them now have full-time jobs within the office of the lieutenant governor, Legislative Research and General Counsel, and Utah State Senate. What a great experience it was to have former interns share their experiences and let current interns know that they too had experienced those uncomfortable feelings when stepping outside of their comfort zones, yet came out all the better because of the experience.

Experiences like these help students see and fulfill a potential within them that perhaps they didn’t know was there. That’s what I love about my new position, being able to watch their confidence grow and see where it takes them next. If we don’t take that opportunity to get outside of our comfort zone, we’ll never know what amazing experiences we’re missing out on.

Outside our comfort zone, weaknesses can creep to the forefront of our minds and we can feel inadequate. This is how I felt taking this new position. I was comfortable in my previous position, and the thought of the buck stopping with me is intimidating to say the least. But, just like my interns, I won’t know my full potential until I step beyond my comfort zone and try.

Becky Stromberg is the student engagement coordinator for the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University.

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