Don’t Leave Empty-Handed

Intern: Brenna Gillis

Major and Year: Psychology, Senior

Hometown: Waukesha, WI

Status: Online

Internship details: Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, WI

Dates: May 7, 2012 - June 29, 2012

Spanning the nation and representing multiple academic disciplines, we are likely engaging in a wide variety of internship experiences. However, there is one thing that all of us have in common: We are in this to gain something. Of course, that is not the only reason we applied for internships through Regent University – and I am certainly not suggesting that our motivations for serving in an internship capacity are self-centered. But I think each of us could agree that we applied for our internships with the expectation that we would, in some way, benefit. So as Session E 2012 comes to an end, I must ask you – what have you gained?

To be perfectly honest, I had an incredibly difficult time securing an internship placement. My field of study is Psychology, and in the state of Wisconsin, there is very little I can do in the mental health field without credentials following my name. I was told by site after site, “Oh, I’m sorry…we only select interns from graduate programs. Be sure to call us when you’re in grad school!” Then finally, two weeks before the start of Session E, I found the internship opportunity that I had dreamed of: Serving in an inpatient behavioral health unit at a large, local hospital. I was thrilled. Pulling my “professional attire” to the front of my closet, and pondering whether or not to pack my lunches in a cute, patterned lunch bag, I thought about what the next eight weeks of my life would bring. Would this experience propel me toward a fulfilling career? Would I find that I love serving in the mental health field? Would I receive direction regarding graduate education? As it turns out, I gained all of this – but not necessarily in the ways that I had expected.

You see, when we receive something, it does not always come in a neat and pretty package. There are times when a learning opportunity appears by mere chance, or when a personal mistake lands us in a situation that we later consider one of our “defining moments”. Don’t overlook the subtle ways in which your internship site is preparing you for a career in your chosen field; even if you realize that the work you are currently doing is not what you’d like to do long-term, you have still gained valuable insight! For instance, my service in an inpatient behavioral health unit has shown me that I would much prefer outpatient work. I am grateful for being trained to work in an inpatient setting, and I will likely serve in this capacity at some point in my future training; but I value the long-term therapist-client relationships that an outpatient psychologist position affords. With this realization, my education and career goals have become a bit more focused.

Now, I certainly do not want to downplay the importance of Christ-like service and a humble attitude during our internship experiences. As God’s regents on this earth, we are called to bring relief to the oppressed and over-worked (Luke 4:18-19); to offer our bodies and talents as sacrifices to the Lord (Rom. 12:1); to use our diverse physical, intellectual, and spiritual gifts for the glory of God (Rom. 12:4-8); and most importantly, to serve wholeheartedly – as if for the Lord, and not for our earthly supervisors (Eph. 6:7). Indeed, with this sort of attitude, we reap the greatest reward of all: the blessing and favor of our Heavenly Father (Eph. 6:8). I believe that God may also reward our faithful service by planting goals and desires in our hearts that we may have never before realized – or even filling our minds with questions we must ask ourselves before engaging in the next phase of our education or careers. Watch for these tiny (or not so tiny) blessings, and claim them as God-given pieces of insight. (Even a head full of questions is better than a complete lack of direction!)

So I challenge you, regardless of whether this internship experience was everything you had hoped it would be, don’t leave your internship site next week empty-handed. Leave the site knowing that you served it well, but take with you the lessons that your internship experience has surely taught. No doubt, there are manly blessings to claim!

The Hardest Lesson

Intern: Elizabeth Morrison

Major and year: Communications, Junior

Hometown: Hollywood, MD

Status: On campus

Internship details: Leadership Institute, Arlington, VA
Dates: Janurary 18 - April 20, 2012

I am a very driven person, which is inspired by Jeremiah 29:11. My passions revolve around love of country and having every incredible experience possible. I believe you should live life to its fullest and never underestimate what God will do with your life.

I have learned many things during my time at Regent University, such as how to write at a college level, how to research, and what will be expected of me in adulthood. However, one of the most important lessons I learned was not in the classroom but in the office. Internships will teach you many important skills that you will use for a very long time.

I began my internship at Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia in January. I decided to leave school for the semester and have some real world experience. My internship was unique because not only did they provide the interns housing (there were 12 of us), but they also gave us a monthly stipend. In addition to this, every Thursday we would have dinner with important leaders from around the country. We also had the privilege to go on field trips to historical landmarks and on a fun weekend away at our president’s mountain home.

Believe it or not, there was work mixed in there as well. We worked Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. During those times I learned more than I ever thought I would. One of the first things that an internship will teach you is how much time you will someday have to devote to a full time job. This was hard to learn. I hated sitting at a desk for that long. I quickly learned that this is pretty much how most jobs are.

The second thing I learned that, perhaps, is the most important lesson one can ever learn is how to work hard. Our culture is developing a sense of entitlement, forgetting that if you want something, you will have to work for it.  In my case, I wanted respect from my supervisors and to impress them. It doesn’t come easily. My internship lasted 3 months, and by the end of it I was exhausted. On my last day our office had a party; however, I still had a project to finish. Instead of joining the fun, I stayed at my desk and completed my tasks. When I finally got to the party it was almost over, and my boss asked me where I had been. She was impressed when I told her that I had been finishing work. I then found out that the extra stuff she had asked me to do earlier that day was a test to see if I would actually do it or try to get out of it. I had officially earned her respect, something I had been chasing after my entire internship.

Respect and hard work go hand-in-hand. No one owes you respect; you work for it. This was the most valuable experience I had during my time at Leadership Institute. Internships are a great way to learn how the real world works. They will push you and put you to the test but the results are worth it.

A New Beginning - Summer 2012

Internships—they’re all the rage. Many majors require them, many others soon will, and the rest might as well. The idea of leaving Regent’s cozy undergraduate bubble and venturing forth into a new, challenging workplace can be daunting enough without adding the pressure to start establishing your professional career before you’ve even graduated. Yet, that’s where today’s society has us.

We can’t deny that it might be a little scary, but here at Career Services, we can equip you with the right tools and give you the encouragement and confidence that, we hope, will diminish the fear factor. We can aid you in each step of the way, from assisting in researching opportunities and going through the application process, to prepping you for interviews and helping you to do your best once you start your internship.

Here, you will primarily get to hear firsthand from current Regent interns about what it’s really like out there. They will be posting on a variety of subjects, taking us along with them as they delve into God’s purpose for their lives, His lessons for their days, and the challenges that inevitably come to shape us into His children. As they share, I’ll add in relevant articles and other helpful information. If you are thinking about doing an internship in the future, you won't want to miss this! 

Come back soon!

A Step of Faith

Well here it goes.. My very first official blog post. Hmm, I always figured I would never be one to write one of these but here I am now so I guess what they say is true: "Never say never." They also said a 5'7.5 (the .5 is my half inch, almost 5'8!) would never play college basketball. Shout out to mom and dad! I did it!

Before I write about the internship I think I should start off with a little about myself. My name is Aizaiah (pronounced like Isaiah in the Bible) and I am half Chinese/half Mexican. (Yes that's right, I can officially tear apart my enchiladas with chopsticks!) I am 20 years old and living currently in Eastern Washington interning at an Assemblies of God Church.


I am a Senior (graduating in December 2011, Hallelujah!) here at Regent University and am a student in their online program majoring in Organizational Leadership and Management.

I started this internship in September 2010 and so far, it has been everything I hoped an internship would be and more. I have had the privilege of real first hand experience of what it means to be involved in ministry and church leadership. My responsibilities include leading a high school student leadership team, a college ministry (life group), and help as a small group leader during the Sunday night HS youth service. Oh and vacuuming the whole church on Sundays. (JK, although I do believe the janitor is one of the most important jobs in the church) Overall, I am expected to be at the church at 9:30AM sunday mornings and most days leave no later than 12:30PM. I then arrive at 4:30PM for student leadership Sunday afternoon and usually leave by 8:30PM. During the week I am at the church 1-4PM Monday-Wednesdays.

Now to the real question: Why Am I choosing to write this blog?


Seems like a simple question right? Well the truth is.. it is.

I am writing this blog to hopefully give students a look at what an internship through Regent University really looks like. The ups. the downs. the victories. The struggles. (And knowing me you will probably get a whole lot of stories too)


Hopefully after reading you all (students) can decide if an internship is something that you feel God has called you to. One thing is for sure. Internships require faith and faith always grows us. Who knows the next step in the place God has you might just be the place you least expected..Was for me anyways...

"So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." -Luke 17:6

To Change the World

Regent University prides itself on being a global university at the forefront of Christian thought and practice. Its noble mission of preparing “Christian leaders to change the world” invites Regent students into an incredible calling. As “regents” we are called to represent the King, Jesus Christ, through His Spirit on earth and seek to further His kingdom while we wait for His return. However, one may ask, how are we going to do this? What does changing the world for Christ look like? Is it even possible, or is it merely a flowery, lofty ambition that we say in theory but know nothing about in practice?

Dr. James Hunter, professor at UVA, addresses some of these issues in his recent book, To Change the World: the Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. I was fortunate enough to listen to him speak at a conference at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in DC on Monday night. Dr. Hunter briefly spoke about his book and how it relates to the Millennial Christian’s possibility of changing the world. According to Dr. Hunter, Christians have historically taken three positions in engaging the world: “defensive against, relevant to, and the Anabaptist view.” In reality none of these have been that effective, and Hunter calls us to consider a fourth option, “faithful presence.” 

In order to change the world we must have a presence in key positions of leadership in the world. Hunter believes that culture changes from the top-down rather than the bottom up, as a rule. He emphasizes the importance of institutions and networking in implementing sustainable change in society. This puts Christians in a challenging position. Today, Christianity in America is fragmented and weak. The institution of the Church as a whole is broken and divided, and Christians are nearly completely absent from the cultural institutions that matter the most. As Mark Noll describes in The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, evangelical Christians have largely ignored higher level thinking and have practically made themselves irrelevant in larger discussions about the nature of science, art, law, politics, culture, and society. Today, if we are going to change the world we must reevaluate how we view the world, the Bible, and the Church. Christian intellectuals need to develop distinctly Christian narratives and systems for engaging all areas of society. We must find unity in the body of Christ and be well grounded in sound doctrine. Today we must have a distinctly Christian voice in all areas of society. We cannot merely buy into the relativism of the world or solely criticize the “evils of world.”  I encourage the Regent community to join me in reading this book and critically evaluating what real “world changing” looks like. Too much is at stake to do nothing.

Lighting a Fire

After almost five weeks of studying abroad, I have come to realize just how much I have to learn. Of all my experiences here in the UK, this one has probably had the biggest impact on me. While I have always agreed that learning is a life-long journey, it was not until I came to Oxford and studied under men and women who have accumulated an extraordinary amount of knowledge that I realized how true this is. Although the revelation that I will never know it all could be discouraging, I think it is actually a very positive thing to realize and acknowledge. It is exciting to think of spending a life time pursuing my interests and studying, both formally and informally, my favorite subjects. Here at Oxford, I have focused on studying history and theology. It has been such a privilege to be able to glean from the knowledge of my tutors and professors. Their enthusiasm for their areas of expertise has inspired me to wholeheartedly pursue lifelong learning no matter what I end up doing in life, and their encouragement to do so has made a tremendous impact on me.
"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire" - William Butler Yeats

Value and Impact

I hope my work at IGE is of value and impacts the organization. In a small staff, I am involved in a lot of the work that goes on. Last week, I led devotionals and prayer for all the staff members on the security and identity offered through Christ in II Corinthians 5:17-21. Last Spring, I wrote a research paper on this passage. This was a great opportunity to share with my colleagues the knowledge I acquired through my class at Regent on the background and meaning of this text. Also at IGE, I am involved in preparing research for focus countries, assisting in travel preparation for international conferences, performing administrative duties, and writing reports and summaries. The work I do is vital to the function of the organization and enables the senior staff members to better perform their duties. Within any organization not all the work is glamorous, which most of mine is not, but it is all important. It is a great feeling to be part of IGE’s meaningful work worldwide in promoting religious freedom and peace. Knowing that my work plays even a small role in the overall impact of IGE worldwide is a tremendous feeling. It gives me a sense of purpose and meaning. Working at IGE allows me to pursue my passions and calling; nothing is more rewarding in life. However, it is also extremely humbling to know that I am just a tiny part of a larger story in which God is writing, as He continues to share and spread His love throughout human history. It is incredible that God calls all Christians to be His hands and feet on this earth. God can truly use anyone if they are willing to follow His lead.   

My Role ...

I realize that my work at this company is aiding in its development. My coordinator Kharisma once told me, “Promotions: we are the face of Kiss FM.” Working directly with the winners lets me know how important my job is. The interns have the most communication with winners. We can make or break their listening to the station. Our conversations and the way we communicate represent this business. One day, I made a listener extremely mad. He told me he was no longer going to listen to the station. Although he was complicated and very rude I still felt bad when he said that. It hurt. Thankfully, there are other listeners and winners that express their appreciation to me everyday. Winners like that excite me and make me want to be more involved. They make me want to go above and beyond to meet their needs. I really appreciate being appreciated. I know I’ve made a lot of people happy and at the end of the day that makes me happy. Satisfied listeners let me know I am important to Kiss FM and that I am doing my job right!

Memorable Qualities

Although I do not work directly with my boss, we do constantly engage in some type of conversation. She is constantly giving me direction. I have noticed she admires the qualities of consistency and precision. She wants everything done in the same way and there is a procedure for all tasks at the station. We must abide by these procedures at all times. When it comes to precision she wants us to be aware of everything around us. For example, she wants us to ensure all documents are in alphabetical order and make sure all winners receive their prizes. She accepts that we all make mistakes but I can tell she gets really disappointed when someone overlooks something and it results in a silly mistake. From this, I have learned that it is beneficial to work as a team with my co-workers. If we work together we can reduce the amount of mistakes we make because someone is always looking out for someone.

What Supervisors Value

Through my internship at IGE, I am finding that my supervisors value a number of different things from an employee. First, I am finding they value professionalism. The working environment is different from a social or academic setting. Each organization develops their own culture and accepted norms. It is important to adapt to this culture and do assigned work with the proper format and style the supervisors are accustomed to. Secondly, I am finding that my supervisor values communication skills. Especially in a busy environment, it is important to clearly state what your progress is on certain assignments and seek out the supervision when follow up is necessary. They often have other things on their plate and can’t offer a lot of oversight. Lastly, I am finding my supervisors value initiative. It means a lot when someone goes above and beyond the norms and works with a spirit of excellence. Also, it is important to show that you are willing to work and ask for more assignments when it is appropriate. This has been a great learning experience for me thus far, and I hope it will continue to help me develop in my professional calling.

Personal Branding

The idea of a personal brand is a new concept for me. I have never thought of my strengths and weaknesses in this way before. Nevertheless, my internship at IGE has helped me discover and identify the unique value that I bring to an employer. Working in my field of interest has given me the tremendous opportunity to find and live out my calling. Within this context, I have been able to work with a great sense of passion. Researching church-state relations, current events, and global affairs in relation to religious freedom is what I love to do. As a Christian, it gives me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that this work has the possibility of assisting people in more freely knowing and worshiping God. Also, religion, government, and law are what I am interested in. My passion for this work enables me to offer employers a dedication and commitment to excellence. Employers never have to motivate me to do something I love and am committed to. Taking the initiative to go beyond conventional expectations and truly making a difference for the betterment of others is what I hope to be known for.

I'm Still Confused....

To be honest I pretend like I am secure in my decision in wanting to be a journalist but sometimes I am not so sure. Being at 98.7 Kiss FM has definitely opened my eyes. I am now aware of the many other options that are available within the field of mass communication. What I am sure about is that I want to work in a media oriented environment.

However, I don’t want my interest in radio (and the positions I am learning about here) to overshadow what I initially intended to do. I can be interested in many fields but I don’t want to confuse those interests with my decision in which career I choose.

I am finding that I am good at taking action and speaking. My co-interns constantly express their admiration for the way I speak with our listeners. They say I have a way with words. So lately, I have been thinking more about broadcast journalism (my first love) and public relations.

I know that with God’s help I will soon realize what I specifically need to be doing with my life!

Great Opportunities

I have loved my experience thus far in Washington, D.C. Through The Washington Center and IGE, I have had a lot of great opportunities. This past week, during my weekly programming at TWC, I listened to a F.B.I. agent talk about his work experience. I found it really interesting to learn about white-collar crime and how the F.B.I. operates. I also went to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The interns at IGE toured the building and met with an attorney that works in employment law. This was a great opportunity to learn about law school, working for the federal government, and how faith can be applied in this context. I am really excited for next week as well. I will get the chance to go to The Becket Fund, which is a Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. This is exactly the type of work I would like to pursue someday. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn so much in my field of interest.

He Can ..

This past week at work has been very stressful for me. My first reaction to confusion is PANIC! I am still trying to figure out why I always react this way to trouble; it might be because I am a semi-perfectionist. It’s funny because scripture says, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” When troubling incidents occur, I really don’t think about God like I should. I worry and rely on my own emotions. In addition, all of these incidents that I’ve panicked about have never resulted in disaster. God always comes through for me. I have nothing to complain about. I really need to trust that He has the power to fix all things. Whether it is a prize not labeled correctly or an email sent to the wrong executive, He has the power to make it RIGHT! “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25). I’m going to take God’s advice and cheer up!

How God has Blessed

After being in Oxford, England for almost a week now, I am amazed at how the Lord has blessed me. As part of a Christian study abroad program, I have been able to meet and hang out with some awesome young people who love God and are committed to academic excellence. Perhaps the biggest blessing this past week, however, has been finding a church where I feel I can really get plugged in, even though I am only in England for five weeks. On a whim, a couple of friends and I decided to go to a late night service Sunday at St. Aldate's, a church that appears on the outside to be traditional Anglican. We had been going full steam all day, and we had already attended two other services at two different churches. My friends and I were tired, and we almost did not go. However, I really felt in my heart that we needed to attend the service, and so, at the last minute, we decided to go ahead and attend. I am so glad we did! St. Aldate's late service is designed for students, and when my friends and I walked in, we found the sanctuary filled with young people talking, praying, and generally preparing themselves to encounter God. The service was mainly charismatic in nature, and we sang well known worship songs by Chris Tomlin and other Christian artists. Additionally, we were able to witness the baptisms of several students who had decided to make a firm stand for Christ. Their testimonies before their baptisms were so inspirational, and the students gave all the glory to God for their deliverance.

After the service, I felt refreshed spiritually, and I marveled at the Lord's goodness in bringing this congregation to my attention. The service was also a reminder of how God is preserving a faithful, vibrant remnant of Britain's next generation in a land where church-going and Christianity is, surprisingly, generally viewed as eccentric or old-fashioned. The young people who attended St. Aldate's that night were genuinely excited about the things of God; and their enthusiasm and passion was extremely moving. This church, sedate and reserved on the outside but burning with passion for Jesus on the inside, is doing their part to spread the Kingdom of God in their circle of influence, and it was a blessing to have been a part of it that night.

Moving Along

Working with JAG is a great experience. Being able to speak with clients concerning Powers of Attorney and Wills makes you feel like they are putting their life in yours hands. Military attorneys are trusted, and I am proud to be taking care of the military community. I never had much appreciation what what America's military services do, but know I had a greater appreciation. Both of my parents were in the military and I not only traveled around the world, but I also lived on military bases for the majority of my life. I no longer take the government employees for granted--especially now that I am one. The most valuable thing I learned is how to compile memorandums and documents in preparation for court hearings. Next week I should be able to sit in at one of the court hearings.

Oxford Adventures: Studying Abroad in the UK

Greetings, fellow Regent students! My name is Elise Leal, and although this is technically an internship blog, I have been asked to do some posts about a five week study abroad program that I am doing. Run by Best Semester, the program is located in Oxford, England. My sister Emilie is also enrolled in the program with me, and together we will be blogging about our experiences in the UK, posting weekly or biweekly posts about our studies and cultural experiences. We arrived Friday morning, and will post an update within the week. Stay tuned!

Christian-Muslim Understanding

The highlight of my week was the Global Leadership Forum, sponsored by IGE and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. This year’s forum was titled “Evangelicals and Muslims: Perspectives on Mission and Partnership.” It was hosted at Georgetown University. The expert panels discussed identity, missions, theology, partnership, and peace within the contexts of Christianity and Islam. I believe a forum like this is crucial within the global complexion of our society today. Muslims and Christians make up about two-thirds of the world’s population and need to learn how to live peacefully with each other. This forum emphasized the importance of acknowledging the differences, while learning to respect and understand the other. Through this experience I gained a greater compassion and love for Muslims. Just because I disagree with some of their views about God, does not give me the freedom to hate, fear, or disrespect fellow human beings made in the image of God. I hope this forum will continue to open up honest conversations between Christians and Muslims.

Mc Donalds GospelFest

Today work was good. It’s been very busy around the station lately. This past Friday, Kiss FM received tickets for the annual McDonald’s Gospel Fest. Bishop T.D. Jakes, Roberta Flack, Hezekiah Walker and many more will be performing at the show this year. Listeners began competing to win tickets in February and now there are over 150 winners. This week, the winners have been coming in, one right after another to pick up their tickets. Therefore, it has been really hectic. I like to be busy though! I’d rather be moving around doing work than sitting still. I am learning so much. My work environment is so inspiring. Most of the young adults I work with have college degrees. Once again, I am really grateful for this experience. I learn new things every day. Although I am still shy and apprehensive at times, I am becoming more comfortable in this environment every day.

Busy Week: Summer Jam!

So, Tuesday's and Thursday's are my recuperation days. Last week was the fastest, craziest, painful week of my life. On June 6th, Hot 97, my internship’s (Kiss FM) sister station had it’s biggest concert of the year: Summer Jam. Because the event was so big, Kiss FM interns were also required help. We went to the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey (the venue for the concert) at 9am Sunday morning. I along with my co-interns got home the next day around 3am. Although, I was tired and irritated at the end of the night, my overall experience was amazing. It was so fascinating; being apart of the setup process. As an intern, I assisted in putting up banners, making sure clients/sponsors (of the concert) were comfortable and handing out programs to over 50,000 attendants. I also got to enjoy a full concert (all-access style) with some of my favorite artists. Unfortunately, I had to work the following Monday from 9a.m.. to 5p.m. However, it was well worth it! Now, I am fully rested and every time, I think of all the blessings that have come along with this internship, I smile. God is good!