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Luke Sellers '13 |
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Stephanie Merrick: "We really enjoyed having Luke at CSES and he did a fantastic job with students." |
2/6/13Randolph-Macon College student
Luke Sellers ’13 interned during January Term (
J-term) at Cool Spring Elementary School in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Working closely with Guidance Counselor Stephanie Merrick, Sellers welcomed students each morning, participated in staff meetings in which guidance counselors offered resources to help teachers work with students, and served on the Gifted and Talented review committee.
“It was a great opportunity,” says Sellers, a
sociology major whose future plans include grad school. “My
internship helped me understand what it’s like to work in an elementary school, and I feel better prepared for the future. I did not realize I could make such a difference in children’s lives, to help them
want to be successful.”
One of Sellers’ projects was Book Talk, a reading-comprehension initiative for third-graders. Students met with Sellers individually to discuss the books they had read.
Although his internship ended in January, Sellers has volunteered to continue the Book Talk project throughout the spring.
“We really enjoyed having Luke at CSES and he did a fantastic job with the students,” says Merrick. “He was self-motivated, not afraid to jump right in, and was comfortable after only a little bit of direction. He took projects above and beyond our expectations and offered to continue Book Talk even after the internship ended. I’m so glad that R-MC sent him our way.”
After graduating in June 2013, Sellers will return to Randolph-Macon to complete
education courses and student teaching.
“Once I finish those classes, I will be eligible to teach in Virginia,” he says. “After that I plan on going to graduate school to earn a master’s degree. Eventually I hope to serve as principal of an elementary school.”
R-MC Professor and Chair of the Education Department Brenda Davis is thrilled that students have the opportunity to participate in internships.
“We are privileged to have an ongoing partnership with Hanover County schools including Cool Spring Elementary School,” says Davis, who helped arrange Sellers’ internship. “It’s a wonderful way for our students to get their feet wet and prepare for the ‘real world’ of work.”
A Yellow Jacket through and through, Sellers is a wide receiver for the
football team. He earned All-ODAC honors in 2012 for his prowess on the field.
“My four years at R-MC have been wonderful,” he says. “I have made lifelong friends, and Coach Arruza has been a great mentor. And to top it off I had the opportunity to experience a fantastic internship.”
Internships Internships are just one of the opportunities offered by
The Randolph-Macon EDGE. Within the
Center for Personal and Career Development,
The EDGE is a four-year program designed to help students identify their career passions, compete for meaningful employment and apply to graduate schools.
For 30 years, R-MC’s
Bassett Internship Program has been successfully placing students in internships both in the U.S. and around the globe. Coordinated with the Center for Personal and Career Development, the Bassett Internship Program works closely with students to help identify their interests and match them with an appropriate internship opportunity. Randolph-Macon’s
alumni provide a strong network of support for students throughout their time at the college or in assisting them after graduation with career direction and opportunities.
Students may choose to pursue academic, paid, or volunteer internships in a wide variety of settings; recent internships have seen R-MC students gaining valuable knowledge and experience in fields including health care, finance, non-profit, communications and media, education, politics and law, and the arts.