Eastern Student Ryan Blejewski of Granby Completes Semester-Long Internship

2015 Jul 28

Ryan Blejewski '15 of Granby recently wrapped up an internship at the Willimantic Youth Services Bureau. Blejewski's major is Psychology.

As an intern, Blejewski was asked to do a variety of tasks, mostly centering on assisting the bureau's prevention coordinator with programs. Some of these included afterschool programs and parent-child programs.

This internship helped affirm Blejewski's passion for the field. "Internships are really important for building entry-level position experience, especially since many jobs require a certain amount of job experience. In my experience, it also helped me to get a better grasp of what working in the psychology field could be like."

When asked about some highlights of his internship, Blejewski responded, "I would have to say that my favorite thing was the Strengthening Families Program that we did at the STEM academy here in Willimantic. It was a great experience overall and allowed me to work closely with both parents and children."

The Center for Internships and Career Development is a valuable resource for students as it promotes strong partnerships between Eastern and potential employers.The Center plays an integral role in fostering excellence in career development and preparation among Eastern students and provides current information on the real workforce needs of employers, which students can use to their advantage. It also helps employment recruiters discover, recruit and hire Eastern students and alumni. They also work closely with companies who are hiring for internships or entry-level career positions in order to learn current and future workforce requirements. They then communicate this information to academic departments to align curriculum with labor market needs.