
Gillian Birdsong
Intern, National District Attorney Association
Major: PSYC & CCJS
Class Year: 2024
What was a typical week like in your internship position?
This was a completely asynchronous internship, so there was no strict schedule. Each week, I would work on an assignment given to me by a full-time employee. A majority of my assignments involved helping employees with their research. I also helped with administrative tasks such as finding venues to hold conferences, editing lecture videos, etc. The tasks would take a couple of days so when I was on the clock my time was devoted to working on those.
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
The research was definitely my favorite part of this position. I have a history of working in psychology labs, but this was the first time I was able to do real criminal justice research. Researching topics and taking notes is something I really enjoy, so it was nice to do it for as big of an organization as the NDAA. I was able to work on and learn about stuff that I would never have the opportunity to do so in my regular classes.
How did your coursework help you in your internship?
As a criminal justice major, I have taken many courses that helped me with this job. I already had a strong understanding of the role of a prosecutor and district attorney, which really helped me with my research.
How did you locate your internship position?
I found my internship through CCJS blogs.
Advice for students:
Be realistic! When I signed on for this internship, I thought I would be able to handle a 20 hour position while also balancing a full course-load. It was something that was very hard to adjust to. Although I was able to balance all my work, it was still very difficult so my main piece of advice is to know your work ethic and what your schedule is like.