Meet Lou Arrouays (Pardee’25), participated in a spring and summer internship at the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
How did you learn about this internship opportunity? What career resources from BU or elsewhere did you use during the application and interview process?
I learned about this opportunity straight through the company site. I did not use BU resources.
Why did you choose to apply for this particular internship?
I applied for this internship because I was really interested in gaining experience in the policy field and learning about immigration policy in the US.
What were your job responsibilities as an intern?
Policy research and writing, administrative duties, event planning help, creating Instagram content, and other duties to help employees.
What was the most rewarding part of your internship?
It was rewarding to be able to talk about specific immigration policies and build a knowledge base about the field of migration and forced displacement.
What skills, technical or soft, did you develop during your internship?
I gathered administrative filing skills as well as learned how to research, analyze, and write about immigration policies.
What was the most memorable moment of your experience?
The most memorable moment of my experience was our World Refugee Day celebration. It was located in Marcella Park, Roxbury, and involved many of our clients, employees, and community members. There was plenty of Ukrainian, Indian, and Mediterranean food, which was delicious. I had also never tried Ukrainian food, which was great! Along with food, there was a Ukrainian opera singer and members of a local Haitian dance group.
What is the biggest takeaway from your internship experience?
My biggest takeaway was all that I learned about migration and US immigration policy. I also gained a lot of knowledge on the resettlement process, which was extremely new to me.
What advice would you give to another student about making the most of an internship, job, or other career-related experience?
I would recommend an intern try their best to be fully present in an internship. It can be hard to keep motivation when working seriously for the first time, particularly when the internship is unpaid. However, trying to focus and be present is the best way to learn about the sector you’re working in and the different aspects of your professional life.
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