Maura Struckhoff
Majors: Political Science, Law & Society, Communication
Intern for the Trial Office, Missouri State Public Defender
How did you learn about this internship opportunity?
I learned about my internship through doing my own research. I have always known that I have a passion for the law, and since I began preparing for law school, I wanted an internship that would give me insight into the profession I want to be in one day. I also knew I wanted to use that passion for good, so I looked into whether there were internships available with any public defender offices. I found the one in my home state of Missouri, and so I applied.
How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals? How did being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue apply to your internship?
My internship has clarified that I want to be a public defender once I graduate from law school. Working at this internship has shown me firsthand how in America, we criminalize poverty and mental health, and I want to do my part to prevent this from happening. This internship showed me that I can use my skills, education, and intelligence for good and to help people who need it most. This internship showed me what it is like to prepare for trial, research legal issues, provide legal information to incarcerated individuals, and so much more. I think being a Liberal Arts Student helped me tremendously in my internship by supplying me with a good foundation of legal knowledge on how our legal system works. Because of Liberal Arts and the classes I took, I was well prepared and knowledgeable about the things being dealt with at my internship.
What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major looking for an internship?
The piece of advice I would give to someone in my major who is looking for an internship is, apply to everything that seems like even a slight match to what you want to do and are looking for in an internship. Right now, the job market is really tough and finding an internship that matches what you are looking for, on top of being able to apply for it, interview, and successfully get the internship, is beyond difficult. So, my advice is to apply, apply, apply. Most people I know applied to 25-50 internships, so just keep applying, and don’t feel discouraged or defeated. You will get an internship; you just have to persevere.
What key responsibilities or tasks have you taken on during your internship?
Many of my tasks involve legal research. I have also prepared depositions, helped with jury selection, visited clients who are incarcerated, and so much more.
In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participation in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development?
As stated above, the College of Liberal Arts has supported my internship journey by providing me with a great foundation of knowledge about our legal system through the classes I have taken. In addition to this, the job-ready program helped me tremendously by providing me with financial aid for the summer. My internship is unpaid, and that means I have no income. The job-ready program was able to assist me financially, and without it, I would definitely be in a worse position, monetarily.
Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy?
The thing that stands out to me most about this program is the idea that the College you are a part of can support you even when you are out of the classroom. This program proves that the College of Liberal Arts cares about its students even when they aren’t in school or taking classes. I think that is extremely important for prospective students to understand – the idea that they are cared for and that the College of Liberal Arts wants to see them succeed, and they are willing to show that through programs like the job-ready program.