Art Turpel, Roxanne Bilby, Dr. Lori O’Malley, Herb McSpadden, Christi Mackey and Cindy Wilson
The Department of Psychology and Sociology at Rogers State University named Rogers County Youth Services as its Internship Partner of the Year award recipient for the 2019-2020 academic year.
“We are extremely excited to be chosen as Partner of the Year. This is a great honor and exemplifies the wonderful relationship between RCYS and RSU,” RCYS Executive Director Herb McSpadden said.
The award recognizes an outstanding internship partner organization that exemplifies the mission of enhancing student learning through pre-career experience in environmental, community and human services work.
“RCYS has consistently provided excellent hands on experiences for RSU students. They treat our internship students as part of the staff,” Internship Program Coordinator Christi Mackey said. “Students gain invaluable learning experiences that will better prepare them for a variety of careers in the social sciences.”
The award recipient agency must demonstrate dedication to working cooperatively with RSU psychology and sociology students, providing exceptional oversight and mentorship, and impacting student learning and development to promote career readiness.
“Many of our students have a desire to work with young people and RCYS provides a wide variety of services to youth in the Claremore area,” Assistant Professor Dr. Lori O’Malley said.
RCYS is a nonprofit counseling agency governed by a local board of directors whose focus is only on Rogers County children, youth and families. The partnership has allowed RSU students to intern and connect with the community for more than 10 years.
“The students who come to our agency are planning a career in this field. I have been impressed with the quality of students coming from the Department of Psychology and Sociology from RSU and have found they have so much to offer during their time with us,” McSpadden said.
RCYS works closely with Volunteers for Youth. Together, both agencies help students evaluate their area of interest while gaining experience outside the classroom.
“We match the student’s passions, talents and interests in an area that is a great fit. When we can make a good match with a student, they gain valuable experience and we get 60 hours of high-quality service. Hopefully, this helps the students narrow down their career plan,” McSpadden said.
Internships not only benefit students, but host agencies as well; including provision of additional resources to clients, impacting the future through guiding experiences and the generation of new ideas. To host an RSU intern, contact [email protected]