For my internship, I worked on-campus with NYPIRG/New York Public Interest Research Group This Fall Semester 2023. During this internship I was able to work alongside a diverse group of individuals who care to advocate for social and institutional change; while aiding students to understand past, present, and future policies and benefits they can enjoy on campus. Some of these benefits include voter registration assistance, education on health services and resources in a variety of offices on-campus, as well as public engagement in other polls and surveys.
During this internship I was able to brush up on constant public speaking skills, as well as partaking in persuasive interactions with the public. Some of the benefits of this internship is exposure to networking amongst students and staff and gaining a sense of awareness on the real-world difficulties non-profit organizations such as NYPIRG face regarding social change in voter turnout and engagement, amongst other areas. Our goal as interns started with trying to register at least 10% of college students to vote. Given the 3,257 students registered at Purchase College this year it seemed like a tall order, but using teamwork and cooperation skills allowed us to meet this goal.
I believe public engagement from the youth is an important path for social change; and although many students speak of it, fewer act upon it. Understanding how NYPIRG fights for students has helped me gain great appreciation for the institution. I hope more students sign up, whether for credits or volunteer work and are able to experience it.
