Liberal Arts student Jessica Garafalo had a unique internship experience this summer with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Due to safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, the sociology and criminology major conducted her internship remotely. While she missed out on in-person opportunities, Garafalo found that the remote position afforded her some advantages such as a more flexible schedule.
Thanks to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Garafalo was still able to have an enriching experience that taught her valuable information about the different units within a district attorney’s office as well as the criminal justice system as a whole.
“I had a virtual meeting every day where I met with assistant district attorneys in different units to learn what they do, such as human trafficking, domestic abuse, firearms trafficking, etc.,” Garafalo said. “In addition, I attended arraignments virtually and wrote a policy paper on human trafficking education and prevention.”
Garafalo noted that the College of the Liberal Arts played an important role in finding the internship. She worked closely with her alumni mentor whom she met thanks to a networking trip to Washington, D.C., which was offered through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. Additionally, the Career Enrichment Network awarded her enrichment funds, which she was able to use to buy professional business attire. Garafalo further explained that her liberal arts education provided her with practical knowledge from the classroom that she was able to apply to her internship daily.
“My liberal arts education impacted me because I was prepared for my internship and knew a lot about what was being taught, whereas some people were learning things about the criminal justice system for the first time. Overall, my liberal arts education has made me a well-rounded person who thinks about things more analytically and in-depth,” Garafalo said.