PSY Internship Spotlight with Shemaiah Reeves

July 11, 2025 - Shelly DeJong

Meet Shemaiah Reeves, a third-year student double majoring in Psychology and African American and African Studies. This summer, Shemaiah is interning at Children’s Therapy Corner where they provide children with occupational, speech, and physical therapies along with Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy or ABA.  

Continue reading to see how psychology plays a role in Shemaiah’s internship, what advice she has for others looking for an internship, and more! 

 

Tell us about your internship! 

Currently, I’m focusing on observing occupational therapy but I am observing physical and speech therapies as well. I am working on a project for the occupational therapy department to use different activities and resources to help children learn and understand emotions.  So far, I have loved my internship. I am currently working to become a therapist, and this is giving me a broader look at meeting a kid where they are and helping them better themselves in every way possible.  

 

How has your psychology education prepared you for this internship? 

My psychology classes and future degree have played a big role in my understanding of this internship. My education has also helped me with active listening and the idea that people are different. Just because there may be similarities, no two people are the same.  

 

Do you have advice for others looking for an internship? 

Be interested in what you’re doing and do your research on the company. Look beyond the potential money you COULD make. If it is not something you are interested in or enjoy doing, it will make it so much harder. There is a lot of time dedicated to an internship, so it is important to ensure that you like what you’re doing and feel supported in the environment that you are in.  

 

What are your hopes for the future? 

As a Psych and African American and African Studies double major, I want to go on and get my master's in social work so that I can become a child psych therapist. I want to work with underprivileged children. I want to eventually open my own clinic that accepts and treats everyone, regardless of race, gender, or status. Ultimately, I want to be the light that I needed growing up. If there is at least one child that says I touched their lives, I would feel completed.