Flint Study Away Internship Spotlight – Cordelia Rutter
July 11, 2024 - Shelly DeJong
Meet Cordelia Rutter, a fourth-year psychology major who is interning at the Voices for Children Advocacy Center. This internship is through the Flint Study Away Internship Program, a credit-bearing summer internship program where MSU undergraduates live, work, and study within the city of Flint for 8-10 weeks. Learn more about Cordelia’s internship experience below.
What drew you to psychology?
I was drawn to psychology because it seemed like the best path get where I wanted to go (some kind of counseling or social work), while also being broad enough that it would be useful as I figured out more specifically what I wanted to go into after my undergrad.
Where are you interning?
I am interning at the Voices for Children Advocacy Center in Flint, Michigan. They offer services to children and families involved in cases of abuse or neglect in Genesee County. My direct supervisor oversees the CASA program, and I assist her with administrative tasks. I also have the opportunity to shadow the other departments at the center. For example, I’ve observed forensic interviews, learned about therapy techniques, and been able to go to court to observe an active case.
What do you like most about the internship so far?
The thing I like most about this internship is the number of opportunities I’ve had to see so many different things. Like I said previously, I’ve been able to observe many aspects of work at the center and been able to witness firsthand some of things that children and families go through when dealing with cases of abuse or neglect.
How has your psychology education prepared you for this internship?
My psych education has given me a great foundational understanding of child development and human behavior. It has also taught me that there is always an underlying reason for negative behaviors, especially for children, even if they don’t know how to define those reasons.
Has anything surprised you about your internship so far?
One of things that has surprised me about my internship so far is the sheer number of services offered at VFCAC which is a house converted to an office space. They have the CASA program, therapy, forensic interviews, family advocates, and offer preventative trainings. They even have their own canine advocate, Daphne!
Why did you decide to participate in the Flint Study Away Program?
I chose the Flint Study Away Program because of the many unique opportunities it presents. Firstly, the guidance of the program coordinator, Cathy White, who personally connects each intern with their placement and continues to be a mentor and support figure throughout the experience; this allows the internship to be even more personalized for each student than a traditional internship. Also, the opportunities for development outside of the internship itself through the Flinterns program that connects anyone interning in the Flint area and offers many professional development and community engagement opportunities. Just recently, they hosted an event with networking opportunities and Flint community tours. I’ve enjoyed both the opportunities presented at my internship placement and those presented by the Flinterns program.
I’ve also loved exploring the area and community of Flint and Genesee County through this experience. I haven’t had many opportunities to see this part of Michigan, so I’ve been loving every second.
What are your hopes for the future?
I’m still hoping to go into social work or counseling but also with an emphasis on school settings. I’ve always been passionate about education and the public education system, and I would love the opportunity to be a support for kids in that space as someone who isn’t a teacher. I’m hoping what I learn here about the experiences of children and families at the Center will help me support kids going through situations of abuse/neglect in school settings.