Internship Profiles

Learn more about students who have done fieldwork as part of their degree in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies:

Thea Deanon, a young woman with olive-toned skin and long brown hair, sitting at a table in what appears to be a lunch room. She is wearing a dark sweatshirt, a thin necklace, and has her hands clasped in front of her. She is smiling at the camera.

"There are some days where you think…‘I saved a life,’” Thea Deanon on working as a queer youth counselor at the Trevor Project

As an aspiring counselor, Thea Deanon embarked on her internship search knowing that she wanted to gain experience in the field of mental health. She ultimately found a volunteer position at the Trevor Project as a crisis hotline counselor, providing comfort and assistance to queer youth in distress. This incredibly impactful experience strengthened her resolve to continue on this path in her career, further reinforced by her experience as a sociology and GWSS double major. The Trevor Project…
Upper body shot of Kai Mai in a black tshirt with a baseball cap on his head. Kai is a young Asian male with light skin and is smiling at the camera.

Cementing Career Goals in Queer and Trans Focused Healthcare across State Lines

Kai Mai interned at QueerDoc, an organization that provides trans and gender-affirming medical care online. This opportunity during his senior year as a GWSS major enabled him to follow his passion for supporting trans and gender-diverse youth seeking healthcare. His responsibilities included virtually assisting doctors with paperwork, communication, voicemails, medical records, and authorizations, helping further QueerDoc’s mission to expand access to gender-affirming care across the U.S. As…
Headshot of Sana Shetty

Learning Hard Truths Through Internships // Perspectives

GWSS senior Sana Shetty's transformative internships challenged her career path and led her to reevaluate her aspirations in human rights law, offering profound insights into the realities of legal work and the importance of practical experiences. Read the story in Perspectives.  
Pencil line drawing of a shoulder and face with flowers growing out of the head. On the line of should it reads "you are simply enough"

Internship with Queer Joy Collective Leads to Career Exploration Fair 

GWSS Internships often offer more than just professional experience—they provide opportunities to work as catalysts for change in organizations that are at the cutting edge of movements for political, social, and economic transformation.  For Kelen Tamurian, the journey to becoming the communications and marketing intern at Queer Joy Collective (QJC) was serendipitous. She explains that QJC learned about her accomplishments as a published author and her robust background in GWSS and reached out…
Full body image of Kenji Fujinaka sitting on a cement wall with the Seattle skyline in the background, wearing a green sweatshirt, black running pants, and white gym shoes and smiling at the camera

“Helping People on the Ground,” Kenji Fujinaka on their internship at the QLaw Foundation

When Kenji Fujinaka started their social media internship at the QLaw Foundation, they entered a completely new, yet fulfilling realm of law and legislation.  QLaw Foundation of Washington is a local nonprofit organization that “promotes the dignity and respect of LGBTQ2S+ Washingtonians within the legal system through advocacy, education, and legal assistance.” They have LGBTQ2S+ and Trans legal clinics that provide free consultation, and provide free legal resources for community…
A man standing in the center of a stage designed to look like a bedroom with a chair, desk, bed, and artwork on the walls. The man with shoulder-length brown hair is wearing a sweater over a button-up shirt, black pants and shoes, and a mask on his face.

Community Development and Trans-Centered Choral Pedagogy, Mikey Prince on his internship with Symphony Tacoma Voices 

Mikey Prince, a senior double majoring in GWSS and Music Education, interned during Winter 2022 with Symphony Tacoma Voices. This community choir meets once per week throughout the season to prepare numerous collaborations with Symphony Tacoma, their annual Messiah performance, and a yearly stand-alone concert. Mikey already had a connection to Seattle Tacoma Voices conductor Geoffrey Boers, who is also Director of Choral Activities in the UW School of Music. During his years as a student,…
Upper body shop of woman smiling at camera, wearing winter jacket and scarf, with shoulder-length brown hair which is blowing in the wind and in her face. Background is beach and tree line.

"An Extension of All My Classes and Vice Versa," Brooke Fulton on her internship with the Seattle City Attorney's Office

Seattle City Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Unit has a history of working with graduate student interns preparing for a career in social work. The interns advocate for victims of domestic violence as they navigate the court system. Brooke Fulton, a junior majoring in GWSS, is the first undergraduate to intern with the unit, and she approached her internship not with the primary intention of seeking a potential job opportunity, but rather as an avenue for personal growth. As Brooke explains…
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