Peer Leaders

A huge thank you to our incredible DTS college students who served as summer interns! Pictured below, from left to right, is Ingrid Franklin and Marshall College, Fernando UC Santa Cruz, Mimi, Mia UC Santa Cruz, Alexa Smith College, and Demi Saint Olaf College.

Mia shares why she applied for the position and a little bit about her time on the job, “Ever since I was in 9th grade, I have wanted to work as a DTS summer intern. I wanted to be a role model for younger DTS students the way the older students had been for me. As a high school student, I liked being with the interns. They listened to me, gave advice, shared their experiences, and provided insight into college life.  Being around them motivated me to go to college because they were smart, capable and accomplished. I wanted to be just like them.

This summer I finally got to be an intern!  It was a lot harder than I anticipated as I juggled all kinds of tasks from graphic design work to cleaning classrooms and everything in between. But the most rewarding part was being able to connect with the students who are just a bit younger than me. There was one student I spent a lot of time with and after a few days of taking walks together she opened up about some very personal issues. She trusted me, knew I cared and knew I would not judge her.  Being there for her made me feel good about myself and I knew I had connected with her the way the interns had connected with me.”