How Tufts Helped Me Get Internships
When I came to Tufts, I knew I wanted real-world job experience to build skills and figure out career paths that I was interested in, but I didn’t realize just how helpful Tufts would be in helping me find those.
My internship experiences this semester have really solidified that for me. I am currently taking PS-118: Decoding State Government and Politics. It’s not just a class you sit through, as it actively places you at internships within the Massachusetts state government landscape. Students are placed at internships within the state legislature, lobbying firms, state agencies, and more. Through this class, I was connected with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, where I am currently interning, and I get to engage directly with policy issues affecting LGBTQ+ young people across the state. It has been an invaluable experience to not only learn about state policy, but then apply the knowledge in a field of policy and advocacy that I am extremely passionate about. In class, we discuss tips and share experiences from our respective internships to really maximize our time, as well as practice real-world skills such as writing and presenting policy memos.
At the same time, Tufts has shown me how accessible internships can be outside the classroom, too. This spring, I attended the Spring 2026 Career Fair hosted by the Career Center, not entirely sure what I was looking for, but hoping to make some connections. In a conversation that started pretty casually, I connected with the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), an organization focused on supporting cooperatives and community-based businesses. After following up, that initial interaction turned into an internship. I now work on LEAF’s Communications and Growth team, where I contribute to outreach strategies and help think through how to better connect their mission with investors and communities. Tufts creates so many entry points to discover new career paths and opportunities, and has also empowered me in a lot of ways with the skills and confidence to make the most of them.
I was really worried before college about whether it would even be possible to balance internships with classes during the school year, but it absolutely is. Tufts makes this balance realistic, as in my experience, professors are often incredibly supportive when they know you’re working, and being surrounded by peers who are also juggling internships, research, and coursework really creates a culture where this kind of balance feels normal and rewarding rather than overwhelming.