Four words. Human Services Practicum Internship.

The Human Services Practicum Internship is the senior capstone course in the Human Services major.

“Students took the principles class as freshmen, interpersonal studies as sophomores, human growth and development as juniors, and had to apply to get into the practicum,” practicum teacher Melissa Royer said.

Throughout the practicum each student has to have an internship.

“They can either find an internship for themselves or they can go to an internship that I provide for them,” Royer said.

The student’s intern at volunteer organizations like Uphaus Early Childhood Center, Safe Place, and Foundation Communities. All of the organizations focus on helping people who may not be able to help themselves.

“I have an internship at Safe Place, which is a place women and children can go to get out of a bad situation,” senior Kiersten Martinez said.

Several students in the practicum also plan to stick to human services after high school.

“I want to try a career in counseling, psychology, or a career where I can help people,” senior Victoria Jackson said.

Recently some of the students in the practicum took and passed an IRS Volunteer Assistor’s certification test which certifies them to help people at non-profit organizations, such as Foundation Communities, file taxes.

“We went to a three day tax training where they taught us the basics of doing taxes and how to use a 4012, which is a booklet with a lot of personal information you would put on your taxes,” senior Angela Oates said. “When we came back we took the test which certifies you to do basic taxes.”

Students feel like they are able to talk to anyone in their class and that they are a family within the practicum.

“This class allows you not to be cliquey,” Martinez said. “We have the groups we hang out with the most but the class makes us go and ask other people questions. In the practicum we build bonds with people we normally wouldn’t talk to outside of class.”

“We’re close knit because it’s a small class so it feels like a little family,” Jackson said.

The practicum also gives students skills they can use in real life.

“The program prepares the kids for the real world by presenting them with opportunities, contacts for jobs or recommendations, and real, tangible skills they wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” Royer said.

The practicum students are also a part of the professional organization TAFE, or Texas Association of Future educators and will be participating in a state competition in San Antonio from February 17 to the 19.