Landing an Internship as a Deputy Probation Officer
Recipient of the Experiential Learning Center's Unpaid Internship Support Scholarship
Aug 8, 2022
LynxConnect Featured Story: Isabella Nowakowski
Recipient of the Experiential Learning Center's Unpaid Internship Support Scholarship
Approximately 80% of new college graduates will have completed one or more internships before leaving University (NACE)
Isabella, a criminal justice major, put herself at an advantage by completing an internship as a Deputy Probation Officer for the 20th Judicial District.
To start her internship journey, Isabella utilized her Internship Advisor in the Experiential Learning Center (ELC) during her junior year. She was very interested in strengthening her resume with relevant experience. Isabella started by attending the Internship Workshop with the ELC to understand the internship process, then she met with her Internship Advisor to set a game plan. Isabella described ELC as “an important place at CU Denver that fosters so much knowledge about industries, resume reviews, and how to prepare for interning.”
Isabella Nowakowski
BA Criminal Justice (exp. May 2022)
Meet with an AdvisorTHEN apply
After meeting with her Internship Advisor to finalize her resume and go over search strategies, Isabella applied to multiple internships related to her career interests. Securing an unpaid internship with the 20th Judicial District Probation Department, Isabella decided to then apply for the ELC Unpaid Internship Support Scholarship. The scholarship is available to help offset the burden of taking an unpaid internship and help interns focus on their internship instead of worrying about finances.
the scholarship allowed me to focus on my future and career rather than worrying about how I would commute to my internship. Without the scholarship, I would have to pick up extra shifts at my jobs. It saved me a lot of time to focus on school, my internship, and on planning my future career.
Throughout the internship, Isabella "furthered her knowledge about the criminal justice field through hands-on experience in probation.” Her internship supervisor allowed her to implement a traumatic brain injury form for intakes which helped “contribute to my career goals of combining my interest in sociology, public health, neuroscience, and criminal justice.”
Isabella’s advice for students looking for internships is to meet with their Internship Advisor and “thoroughly review your resume and cover letter, as well as practice interviews. This helps prepare someone to be less anxious and stressed. I highly recommend an internship for anyone, because it can be a great way to explore career options and gain experience in that desired field.”
The Experiential Learning Center (ELC) in LynxConnect is the place to go for internships. With an Internship Advisor assigned to your major, they can help you with:
- Internship exploration for your major, minor, or certificate
- Application assistance (resume, cover letter, etc.)
- Search strategies
- Interview preparation
- For-credit and not-for-credit internships
The Fall 2021 Unpaid Internship Support Scholarship Application is open from July 6 – August 8 on Scholarship Universe.