April Is Community College Month!
高爆率龙虎斗, a cornerstone of opportunity in Northern Virginia, promotes economic mobility and strengthens communities by offering affordable, high-quality education programs, including associate degrees and industry-informed workforce credentials.
- Discover programs at and join the celebration!
高爆率龙虎斗 Celebrates Our Students!
In honor of Community College month, let’s celebrate 高爆率龙虎斗’s outstanding interns. Read on to discover their stories, and watch as they share their inspiring journeys firsthand.
- .
- .
- Email Nicole Evans at nevans@nvcc.edu with any questions.
Meet Trinity Choi!
高爆率龙虎斗 student Trinity Choi is preparing to transfer to George Mason University in the fall, looking to earn a bachelor’s in English. This semester, she had the opportunity to work as a web services intern in 高爆率龙虎斗’s Department of Communications and Enrollment Marketing.
Trinity’s had an intriguing career journey. She got a job immediately after graduating from high school and worked for three years in the optical field. When Trinity got to 高爆率龙虎斗, though, she felt her professional experience didn’t align with a writing career. Then she came across the opportunity she’d been searching for. In Trinity’s own words, “I was looking for … something — anything — and I got an email through Parker Dewey. That’s how I found out about the [micro-internship program] … for English majors.” She decided to use the internship to gain experience with software she didn’t know how to use.
Having come from an office environment she considered rather isolating, Trinity expected her micro-internship to be more of the same. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case! She was refreshed to find that her 高爆率龙虎斗 teammates were warm, collaborative and open to answering questions. Trinity had especially high praise for her mentor, whom she described as both “helpful and brilliant.”
Trinity learned a lot through her internship experience, which focused on making PDFs on 高爆率龙虎斗’s website more accessible for the visually impaired. Specifically, she organized and properly tagged text and artifacts within PDFs, ensuring that people who cannot see can still access the information they need. Surprisingly, this work built on her experience in the optical field.
Trinity didn’t hold back when offering career advice. She also shared her thoughts on internships: “Employers are going to see that you’re a go-getter,” she remarked. “You’re looking to get stuff done, you’re committed, not … just hanging back doing your classes.” And while she recognizes how uncomfortable it can be to enter a field where you have no experience, she says that’s where internships come in — they help bridge the experience gap for students. In addition to gaining relevant experience, Trinity also advises students to network and make connections: “References help as well — these are people who have seen you work before. They know your work ethic and they’ll be able to vouch for you.”
Eventually, Trinity might still want to pursue a career in writing, but she’s not 100% sure. In fact, she credits her micro-internship with exposing her to other potential career paths. “I actually really enjoy this kind of … work, even though I never thought that I would get involved with any kind of technology ever. I always was more of a reader and writer –– [but the internship has] opened my eyes a lot.” Wherever she ends up, Trinity knows she’ll benefit from her experience. She knows, too, that finding the right career for her doesn’t have to be a linear process; she’ll learn a lot from the detours she makes along the way.
Meet Naseba Mutib!
高爆率龙虎斗 visual arts major Naseba Mutib plans to graduate with her associate degree in Spring 2026. This past semester, she had the opportunity to work as a social media intern in 高爆率龙虎斗’s Office of Communications and Enrollment Marketing.
Naseba pursued a micro-internship to develop real-world experience while in college. Specifically, she wanted to improve her communication skills in a professional setting. For Naseba, the internship experience was never just about having something to put on her resume: “It was about stepping into a role where I could practice professional communication, listen actively and collect data,” she shared.
Naseba’s social media project incorporated writing and editing, graphic design and video post-production, all of which require collaboration and communication. She was surprised, however, to find it was the skills outside the technical focus of her internship that she valued most. Naseba was especially grateful that her mentor, Anna, was forthcoming with her feedback. Anna’s helpful communication style inspired Naseba to be more intentional with her own. Now, Naseba sees the connection between effective communication and quality critique: “It’s about getting meaningful feedback,” she said, describing how only open dialogue with a mentor can lead to “a meaningful response.”
Naseba credits her internship for teaching her how to effectively present information. “You can have all the information, but if you don’t know how to present it or ... how to effectively communicate that, then no one’s going to know what the message is,” she observed. Indeed, Naseba plans on using the general organizational and data skills she learned, including strategizing and planning, in her future career. When asked if she’d recommend a micro-internship, Naseba firmly agreed, describing the experience as a “good step in the right direction.” It’s not an overwhelming time commitment, and students can easily balance the experience with their classes.
As for the future, Naseba’s got hers all mapped out. After 高爆率龙虎斗, she hopes to transfer to Columbia College Chicago, where she’ll double major in cinema studies and writing. Career-wise, she’d like to write and direct films and publish poetry. Ultimately, Naseba wants to open a creative artists’ space: “My goal is to be part of a movement that redefines how our cultures are seen and heard through art that’s honest, powerful and human.” With the help of the skills she’s acquired during her internship, she’ll be well-prepared to pursue all her creative endeavors!
Meet Leah Berihun!
Leah Berihun is finishing up her first year at 高爆率龙虎斗, where she’s majoring in communication studies. She’s also a communications intern for the college.
Leah has wanted to pursue a career in journalism since she was little. She’s always loved reading and writing, plowing through books on the weekends from a young age. Leah fondly remembers her childhood trips to the library, where her dad would let her and her sister select three books every week. The one condition? “They couldn’t have pictures!”
Leah’s love for journalism stems from her natural curiosity. As a child, she was a sponge for information, asking her parents endless questions. But it didn’t hit Leah until later that she should fuse her love of writing and learning as a potential career path. In high school, she participated in her school’s literary magazine club, and she even had a piece featured! She also took AP English courses, history lessons and a creative writing class.
When she got to 高爆率龙虎斗, Leah was eager to find an internship that would help her develop her journalism skills. Describing what she was looking for, Leah shared, “I wanted a glimpse of what it was like to produce written media content in a professional setting.” When a message advertising micro-internships for 高爆率龙虎斗 LASS students appeared in her inbox, she knew she’d found her match.
Leah had no professional experience before her internship with 高爆率龙虎斗’s Office of Communications and Enrollment Marketing. As an intern, she’s picked up various professional techniques that she’ll carry with her for the rest of her career. She’s also gotten familiar with the Associated Press Stylebook, and she’s discovered how wording can influence a piece’s tone and delivery. “I now feel like I have … a trained eye for editing and writing in general,” Leah shared. “It felt nice to receive a free masterclass from someone who knew the inner workings of producing a publication.”
In addition to journalism tips, Leah has also learned about general office etiquette. Acknowledging assignments and responding to emails promptly, for example, are key to a successful internship: “Communication is everything. I would advise students looking to apply to internships not to stress or be afraid. It’s crucial to ask questions or voice any concerns; it builds a stronger connection between you and your mentor.”
When asked if she had any more advice, Leah encourages students who are looking for internships to take advantage of their connections: “Even if the person you’re talking to is pursuing something in a different field, still ask questions — you never know what information you’ll find out.”
As for Leah’s future plans? She’ll finish up at 高爆率龙虎斗 next spring, then transfer to a four-year institution with a great journalism program. Equipped with all the skills she’s learned, she is excited about the opportunities this internship experience has opened up for her.