My name is Sarah Bowman and I am a senior in Human Development and Family Sciences. I am an undergraduate intern with the Office of the Dean of Student Life. Throughout this term I will be working with the central office of the Dean of Student Life, New Student Programs and Family Outreach, Healthy Campus Initiatives, Child Care and Family Resources, Disability Access Services, Career Services and Student Conduct & Community Standards. My career goal is to work in student affairs; I’m just not sure which area I want to focus on yet. This internship will show me many diverse positions that all reside under the student affairs umbrella. My goals are to learn something new every day and make a positive impact on this campus! I love working with all kinds of people and a student affairs career seems to be a perfect fit for me!
This week my assignment was to create a display to represent the Office of the Dean of Student Life for the Beaver Community Fair. I decided to focus on the sense of community that Oregon State encompasses. I also wanted to bring awareness to the hundreds of resources that are available to all students on campus. Many students are not aware of all the resources here on campus to help them be successful in their years here so I think it is important to get the word out as often as possible. The fair went well and it was great to talk with the students that approached our table! I met a lot of people that are involved in student affairs and a few students that are interested in one day working with student life.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first week of my internship and I have met some amazing people so far! Working in the Office of the Dean of Student Life is something that I look forward to doing every day. It is amazing to see how much work goes into making the university a welcoming and supportive place for all students. There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that keep this campus going strong and I feel very fortunate to be meeting and working alongside the people who make it happen. I am so excited to expand my knowledge of student affairs this term and I look forward to sharing my experience with as many people as possible!