Every year, millions enroll into college thrilled to finally study their area of interest, earn a degree, and find their dream job. Some advantages of attending college include: long-term financial gain, job stability, career satisfaction and success outside of the workplace. In order to be successful after graduation, students must fill up their resumes with as many extracurricular activities and internships as possible. Although these opportunities prepare you for the future, they are often time consuming and unpaid. For many college students, participating in these activities is a luxury, as they are not only students but also employees. This is the case for a majority of CUNY students.

CUNY students come with various layers of intersectionality– many of them are from low-income communities and are people of color. They have long commutes, long hours in the classroom, and often, are working long shifts outside their studies to afford their tuition. Also, a lot of CUNY students must go home and take care of their families and even their own children. Having these responsibilities makes participating in unpaid internships and activities difficult. Ultimately, students have a harder time finding a job, and reaching their goals in life. For this reason, I believe that internships must be paid and accessible to all students in order for them to gain valuable work experience, develop skills, explore career paths while also receiving compensation for their work.

Throughout my college career, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable work experiences through paid internships. Most recently, I have been working with Young Invincibles (YI), through the CUNY Service Corps program and CUNY Recovery Corps. Interning with YI has prepared me for my future career with hands-on experience. I acquired knowledge and learned transferable skills that I will use for the rest of my life. In addition, interning has provided me with a sense of clarity on what careers might be best suited for me, allowed me to know myself better and meet other people that are passionate about similar things. Overall, after my internship with YI, I am much more equipped to transition into a job once I graduate. However, none of this would have been possible if I was not compensated for my work, because like other CUNY students, I depend on a paycheck.

Therefore, internships play an important role in students’ professional and personal growth. They enable students to gain first-hand exposure to working in the real world while developing skills that will help them succeed in their careers. I am lucky enough to have a paid internship, but that is not the case for all. CUNY and our elected officials must ensure that all students have access to paid internship programs, so that students can reach their full potential and career goals.

Lia Guzman is a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY and a summer intern with Young Invincibles-New York.