Eastern Student Kelly Huhtanen of Pomfret Center Engaged in Internship

2015 Dec 14

A number of Eastern students commit to student internships as an on-site practical work experience with a company or organization that can provide them with firsthand knowledge of a career field. The internship is usually related to the student's major or is directly related to the student's career interest. They often complement the student's coursework, can incorporate skills and classroom experience into the workplace and assist the student in developing new abilities and skills.

Kelly Huhtanen '17 of Pomfret Center is working as an intern for the International Hoccleave Society. The society is devoted to promoting scholarship related to the late-medieval poet Thomas Hoccleve and provoking innovative research into the poet. The society provides a community for Hoccleve scholars. Huhtanen's major is Elementary Education and English.

Huhtanen's duties for the internship include updating social media outlets, drafting monthly memos, welcoming new Twitter followers, compiling a running list of publications and dissertations on medieval works, as well as other duties.

According to Huhtanen, "This internship has been a fantastic experience. I was given the opportunity to acquaint myself with written works from a different time period. Finding ways to make older written works compatible with our digital age is something that my generation of English-lovers should have an interest in!"

Huhtanen is interested in becoming an elementary school teacher, then a college professor. "The professional skills that I gained through the internship will serve me in whatever endeavors that I embark on in my future. Internships teach students how to interact with others in a professional setting. They also prepare students to enter the workforce and can provide insight into occupations of interest. This helps students whether an occupation is right for them or not," she said.

Huhtanen found her internship by connecting with Eastern Professor Clermont-Ferrand. "Professor Clermont-Ferrand is my mentor for this internship. She has an exquisite content knowledge of medieval topics and makes the subject matter incredibly relatable and interesting to her students. I have taken three classes with her and now regularly meet with her to keep up-to-date on my responsibilities regarding my internship. Not only does she aid me in navigating my internship, but her enthusiasm related to Thomas Hoccleve, as well as other medieval topics, is contagious. She has been incredibly helpful and recommended me for this internship through her connections with the International Hoccleve Society."