Hi, my name is Makayla Bangoura, and I am a fourth-year International Affairs major from Acworth, GA. As a student on the pre-law track, finding internship opportunities to boost my resume for law school applications was a daunting task. However, a lesson I’ve learned as a senior and incoming 1L at the UGA School of Law, is to not be afraid to call. My freshmen year I was in the depths of Handshake and other job platforms applying to every internship I could, but my sophomore and junior year I put aside my fears and reached out to the people I wanted to work with and secured amazing internships those summers.
During my sophomore year, I started to plan out what my summer would look like. I was already set to study abroad in Florence, Italy, but since that program was only a Maymester I needed something else to fill the rest of my summer. Since, I didn’t secure any opportunities through the typical job platforms the year prior, I decided to research individuals, organizations, and companies that I knew would suit my career interests. This research is how I discovered David Wilkerson who is a State Representative for Georgia’s 38th District. Since his policy positions aligned with mine, and his district was near the town I grew up in, I decided to give him a call. This call opened up a door of opportunities, and I was offered an internship. During my time as an intern, I had the opportunity to attend fundraising events, meet other local politicians, and create an analysis of the state budget.
The spring of my junior year, I wanted to focus on gathering my application materials for law school, and this included an internship at a law firm. Finding an attorney to intern with came with a few difficulties, as most law firms are not prone to hiring undergraduate students, however, I did not let that stop me from reaching out. After a few phone calls and emails, I found an attorney who was willing to take me on as an intern. This internship was in family law, and it was absolutely incredible. I had the opportunity to attend court, sit in at client meetings, and meet judges and other family law attorneys.
As a student who is sometimes afraid to put myself out there, I am so happy I put my fears aside. So many amazing career experiences have come out of reaching out to employers, and I am grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained from these experiences. If you haven’t had any luck in your search for a summer internship, maybe just give them a call!
Author: Makayla Bangoura
