CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - One of the three main components during DIII Week is academics. In Division III, we realize that the classroom is the primary setting for preparing student-athletes for future success. However, academics are more than just GPAs, test scores and majors; they are a comprehensive learning experience that develops successful leaders and professionals. At Lesley University, internships and field experience are the hallmark of a Lesley education. Rachel Weinzimer (Woodland Hills, Calif.) is a Health Science/Psychology major and a member of the women's soccer team. Weinzimer interned with the Perkins School for the Blind and we asked her for a little insight about her internship experience. 

1) Describe your internship and your responsibilities

At Perkins School for the Blind, I specifically worked in the Lower School, which is for students who are about 4-14 years old. I helped out in a preschool classroom, where we had about 4 or 5 students who all had differing levels of CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) or blindness, and many students had multiple complex disabilities. Every Friday last spring I would go to Perkins and get to spend the school day with these amazing students, as well as spend time shadowing and observing the pediatric physical therapist working with all students in the Lower School. Each student had a personalized schedule. Every student had different blocks of time where their classes would include adaptive and diverse forms of therapy, including: physical therapy, music therapy, art therapy, occupational therapy, play therapy, speech therapy, and more, all of which were disguised to be as fun and as encouraging as possible. I mostly worked with the students in my preschool classroom, helping them go to each of their classes and help them to fulfil their needs, while sticking to and learning their routines, which, at the end of every Friday included a school-wide dance party in the auditorium! 

2) How do you feel like this internship will prepare you for your career?

Shadowing the physical therapist at Perkins allowed me to gain exposure to some of the techniques utilized in pediatric physical therapy with young kids. This experience has prepped me for the real world as it has allowed me to gain so much more experience and knowledge about kids with blindness and multiple disabilities, and it has increased my passion for wanting to someday work as a physical therapist for pediatric patients with special needs. The work environment is positive, professional, and all the students and staff at Perkins are wonderful. 

3) How did you feel your overall internship experience was? 

I loved my experience, and looked forward to seeing the students every single Friday as I got to know them better and better. Working with this population group has taught me to go with the flow and be able to meet the student where they are at, adjusting and individualizing experiences so that they have the students' best interests in mind!

4) What's one project you were proud to be a part of or work on?

Something that I was proud to be a part of was working with one of the students in my preschool class with her transition from using her chair to get around a lot of the time to learning how to be comfortable with taking the stairs and walking from class to class with her white cane with more confidence! With the help of physical therapy and many of the amazing teachers, she became so much more enthusiastic about getting places with her cane, and her independence grew so much from the short time I was there! Even just singing songs in the hallways marching with her as we walked together to classes, made me feel so proud to watch her succeed!

5) Any advice for students looking for internships?

Go into the internship open-minded, with the goal of learning in one way or another. Even if it means that you learn that a certain population group or job isn't for you, all new learned experiences can help guide you closer to finding what you are passionate about! Encourage yourself to go for the more competitive internship position and challenge yourself to do something you haven't done before; the worst they can say is no.