Austin Dwenger ’18, a senior psychology major and sociology minor with a concentration in social work, is interning at Families First, Indianapolis, and the Office of Alumni Relations at Marian University. For Families First, Austin is working at Ivy Tech with a Families First therapist. His daily responsibilities include sitting in on client counseling sessions, filling out intake assessments, processing notes, and helping out his supervisor.
“It is fantastic to see what I am learning in classes being used in the field,” says Austin about Families First. “I want to work with children and this internship has allowed me to do so. I have a few children I work one-on-one with, and it is rewarding to see them make progress and grow as individuals.”
In the Office of Alumni Relations, Austin helps put together and send out class reunion letters and updates information about locations and amenities on campus.
“My favorite part about interning at the Office of Alumni Relations is working in the Allison Mansion,” states Dwenger. “I get to see President Elsener as well as many other people who have made Marian what it is today (donors, planners, architects, etc.) Learning about the different alumni and stories about Marian’s past has also been very interesting.”
The skills that Austin has learned through interning with Families First will be applied to his future career goal of being a social worker. The Office of Alumni Relations allows him to work with people in a setting other than social work and learn the basics of an office job.
“I have learned so much. This internship is everything I hoped it would be,” says Austin about Families First. “I’ve seen things I’ve learned in class be used in the sessions, as well as learned new techniques and strategies for therapy. I have learned this is where I truly want to be.”
“I have learned so much about Marian University,” says Dwenger about the Office of Alumni Relations. “My knowledge of the history and campus has been greatly increased. We have fantastic faculty and staff here at Marian.”