Student Internship Spotlight: Adriana Marroquin
Class of 2023
Major:
Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology
Internship:
Duration:
Five months
Location:
Washington, D.C.
What were your primary duties and responsibilities?
D.C. Witness is a magazine that reports on every crime happening in D.C., so a lot of my job involved observing court proceedings, writing up short pieces and communicating with victims, attorneys and family members. My first summer, I spent almost the whole time in the courtroom covering homicides and non-fatal shootings, getting to see the inner workings of the criminal justice system.
How did this internship help you grow and change?
It really showed me that everyone has a story. In court, I was able to build relationships with attorneys, victims and family members, which helped me rehumanize defendants and victims and understand them as complex individuals rather than just another case. This really taught me that people are more than just what happened to them or what they did. Now, I really try to approach every person, every case with an open mind and an empathetic spirit to best understand the perspectives of everyone involved.
How did this internship support your career goals?
This internship actually turned into a job for me, and I now work with D.C. Witness as an Assistant Editor. My internship helped me discover what I really want to do — work with juveniles in the criminal justice system. Now, I’m making plans to get a master’s degree in criminal justice, and I’m possibly looking at returning to Marymount and continuing to benefit from the close-knit community and personalized education that helped me thrive as an undergraduate student.
What is your advice to other students who are looking to get an internship?
Don’t limit yourself just because you don’t think you have enough experience or are the perfect candidate for the job. You never know what you can do until you try, so always try. Also, focus on finding something that you are passionate about. That way, even if you are doing entry-level work, you are still excited about coming to work and contributing to the organization’s mission. If you like what you do, that will show in your work.
