Besides being a valuable
experience
for
learning,
internships are often stepping
stones to full-time job offers.
In a survey conducted by
the
National
Association
of Colleges and Employers
(NACE) in 2019, 57.5 percent
of graduates in the class of
2019
who
had
internship
experience received full-time
job offers.
LSA senior Nissa Thodesen-
Kasparian had planned for an
internship at Estrel Berlin in
Germany since October, with
hopes of finding a full-time
job in Berlin at the conclusion
of her internship.
“My original plans for post-
graduation were to continue
searching for a full-time job
while in Berlin (through May
and June) so that I could
move
onto
this
position
immediately after I left the
Estrel,” Thodesen-Kasparian
said.
Now, she’s struggling to
find alternative plans.
“The most jarring thing
about this process then has
been that now I am scrambling
a bit to find another summer
internship or full-time job,
which is a bit difficult because
a lot of deadlines have already
passed and there’s still a
chance summer internships
even in Michigan might be
pushed
back,”
Thodesen-
Kasparian said.
Other students, like LSA
sophomore
Josh
Bauman,
expressed
worry
about
how
the
loss
of
summer
opportunities
would
affect
how
graduate
and
medical
schools
evaluated
applications. As a pre-med
student,
undergraduate
research is often considered
important
for
prospective
medical and graduate school
applicants.
“I was going to continue a
(research) internship that I
had from last year,” Bauman
said. “I’d say I feel like some
of my competitive advantage
is being taken away against
my will. Who is to say that
my med school application
might look weaker than it
would have with a blank spot
in the junior year summer
slot where other students may
have completed internships,
published
papers,
studied
abroad.”
For LSA sophomore Lena
Vushaj, the cancellation of her
summer internship working
with the National Security of
Albania to research archives
from the communist regime
was not only a loss of an
educational experience but
also a missed opportunity to
explore her family heritage.
“My parents were from
Albania and they experienced
communist
Albania,
so
I
guess it was not only an
educational experience, but
it was more of an experience
of personal growth,” Vushaj
said. “And in the future I
want to be a lawyer — maybe
an immigration lawyer — so
knowing what people went
through
and
what
made
them the way they are today
would’ve helped me better
understand them.”
Furthermore, the lack of
communication
between
internships
and
students
have left many frustrated.
LSA
sophomore
Louie
Orleans has yet to receive
an official statement on the
cancellation of his planned
internship in Washington,
D.C.
through
the
University’s Public Service
Intern Program. He said
this uncertainty is hindering
him
from
committing
to
alternative summer plans.
“Lots of the jobs and
internships
have
gotten
delayed or are unresponsive
… I don’t have a summer job
at this point, but I’m still
uncertain if I can even take
summer
classes
without
knowing what’s happening
with the program,” Orleans
said.
Thodesen-Kasparian
expressed similar thoughts.
After
receiving
a
mass
email
from
her
program
coordinator,
Thodesen-
Kasparian said she hasn’t
received any further contact
from anyone — including
Estrel Berlin — addressing
her individual situation.
“The most frustrating part
of the whole process was the
fact that I felt like I wasn’t
really consoled individually
about
my
internship,”
Thodesen-Kasparian
said.
“I understand that there are
limits to what the University
can do and it made sense
to cancel all internships en
masse early on, but it was
honestly frustrating to me
that my internship and plans
for my future were up and
canceled on my behalf before
I could really even consider
alternative options.”
Despite
the
current
environment,
Thodesen-
Kasparian said she is thankful
for her resources.
“The whole situation was
upsetting,
but
more
than
anything right now I’m just
grateful that I’m back home
with my family where I feel
safe during these uncertain
times because by no means
is that everyone’s situation,”
Thodesen-Kasparian said.
Reporter Sarah Zhao can be
reached at srahzhao@umich.
edu
When the Children’s Center
closed, Carroll said she and other
employees
were
offered
the
option to work directly with the
children at the Children’s Center
as nannies. However, since she
lived in a residence hall, she left
campus and was unable to utilize
this option.
Besides
the
financial
hit,
Carroll
said
there
was
an
emotional toll of having to leave
her job.
“I wasn’t expecting that I was
going to get a job at a place that
I love so much,” Carroll said.
“It’s hard to not see those kids
a couple times a week because I
really did love my job … one of
the favorite parts of my week is
gone until further notice.”
LSA
sophomore
Trenten
Ingell has continued his job as
an organization peer advisor
with the Center for Campus
Involvement
remotely.
He
recognizes he is in a better
position than most students.
In light of the situation,
Ingell has worked on a number
of petitions, including a call to
stop on- and off-campus rent
payments.
According
to
the
petition, these efforts hope to
help students faced with the
choice of staying on campus to
work despite health concerns
or going home and risking not
being able to pay rent.
“A lot of people have lost their
ability to work and provide at
least some sort of income for
themselves,” Ingell said. “I think
that’s certainly been an issue for
a lot of people.”
Ultimately,
while
Burton
said losing his job temporarily
has been difficult, he said he
believes he can get through this
challenging time.
“Even though it’s a mess I’ve
never dealt with before, it’s
still a mess I can deal with,”
Burton said. “We’ll get through
it somehow.”
In an interview with The
Daily
March
27,
University
President Mark Schlissel said
students who are not longer
working won’t be paid, but noted
the University is working to find
a job for students who stayed on
campus and wish to continue to
work.
“Work study is a work program,
so if they’re not working I don’t
believe we can pay them at home
for not working,” Schlissel said.
“But the students that are, we’ve
endeavored to keep employed,
because
we’ve
realized
that
many of the students rely on
that income and a lot of it’s being
done on a case-by-case basis.”
Daily
Staff
Reporter
Iulia
Dobrin
can
be
reached
at
idobrin@umich.edu.
LSA
junior
Isabelle
Bogojevic,
communications
chair for the policy group
U-M Roosevelt Institute, said
she
appreciated
Michigan’s
localized efforts to the outbreak.
“In regards to that $2 trillion
that was passed, we know that
it’s not being distributed to most
college-age students and there’s
a bunch of other shortcomings
in that bill as well,” Bogojevic
said. “While I think that the
stimulus bill is going to be
helpful for many … it seems to be
a very short-sighted plan to me.
So I think Gretchen Whitmer,
like early on, did a good job of
tackling this crisis. So I think
that the state legislators’ action
is just another way that the state
of Michigan is responding.”
The
Daily
analyzed
neighboring states’ plans to see
how they stack up to Michigan’s.
OHIO:
The
state
of
Michigan’s
reaction
to
the
coronavirus
comes on the heels of Ohio Gov.
Mike DeWine, who has been
applauded
for
his
proactive
efforts in combating COVID-
19. On March 12, DeWine was
the first governor to call for
a statewide closure of public
schools, even though Ohio had
yet to suffer a major outbreak of
COVID-19.
Both DeWine and the Ohio
state legislature have worked
together to enact House Bill
197
providing
emergency
relief to Ohioans during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The bill
amends several codes to expand
unemployment
benefits
for
individuals out of work due
to COVID-19, prohibit water
shutoffs, move the state tax
deadline from April 15 to July 15
and extend absentee voting for
the Ohio primary to April 28.
INDIANA:
In
Indiana,
the
state
legislature
has
not
passed
any relief for COVID-19. In
an interview with TV station
WXIN , state Rep. Jim Banks,
R-Ind., said he is waiting to see
how the $2-trillion federal relief
package will impact the state
before allocating more aid.
“I really do believe we need to
let those three aid packages play
out, then we can go back after
that and see what needs to be
done,” Banks said.
ILLINOIS:
The
state
of
Illinois
has
paired up with the nonprofit
United Way of Illinois and the
Alliance of Illinois Community
Foundations
to
launch
a
statewide
fundraising
effort
to support nonprofits. Other
than the partnership, the new
fund would be separate and
independent
from
the
state
as they hope to fundraise for
providing emergency food and
basic supplies, interim housing
and shelter, primary health care
services and other essential
needs.
While
Gov.
J.B.
Pritzker
has
filed
for
a
waiver
to
expand Medicaid coverage and
announced new measures to
help small businesses struggling
financially,
the
Illinois
legislature has not passed any
laws allocating funding for the
coronavirus pandemic.
All four states are under stay-
at-home
or
shelter-in-place
orders.
Daily Staff Reporter Julia
Fanzeres can be reached at
julfan@umich.edu.
Friday, April 3, 2020 — 3
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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DESIGN BY ERIN RUARK