Young Alumni Spotlight: Kylie Miller ’20

Young Alumni Spotlight: Meet Kylie Miller ’20

In this Young Alumni Spotlight, we chat with Kylie about her experience as a participant in the Micro-Internship Program and later paying it forward as a host.

Can you share your experience as a Goucher student participating in a micro-internship? How did it shape your professional development and career aspirations?

As a senior at Goucher, I applied to the first-ever Micro-Internship Program session. I was matched with my top choice, which was working for The Mazungumzo podcast with alum Nenelwa Tomi. It was a wonderful experience that directly shaped my career in podcasting. After graduating, I ended up working on The Heumann Perspective podcast with international disability rights activist Judy Heumann. In the interview process, I was able to reference my work from the micro-internship.

What motivated you to become a host for the Micro-Internship Program after your own experience as a student participant?

When I began working with Judy Heumann, we knew we wanted to have interns help with The Heumann Perspective podcast. I remembered the Micro-Internship Program and reached out to Goucher’s Career Education Office. Judy and I applied to host during the next round of micro-internships, and we were paired with two lovely interns who created their own podcast episodes from start to finish! Having been through a micro-internship myself, I was eager to set up a project that was realistic for them to complete in the allotted time while hopefully setting them up to succeed and grow the way I did as a student participant.

Can you describe the project(s) you hosted this year and the skills you aimed to impart to your intern(s)?

This year, I hosted another micro-intern, who helped create a bonus episode of The Heumann Perspective. I aimed to impart research, writing, and analysis skills by having the intern identify unused podcast content and assess which moments were fitting for the bonus episode. It also exposed the intern to multimedia work by involving tasks relating to our podcast, website, social media, and YouTube.

How has your perspective shifted as you transitioned from being a student intern to hosting and mentoring others?

Transitioning from being a student to hosting others has illuminated the true value of mentorship for both parties. While hosts can impart knowledge and skills to interns, they should also be open to learning from the intern. Seeing the direction that our interns took with certain tasks made me think about how I may approach it differently. It was truly a collaborative process that I found very fulfilling.

What advice would you give to current Goucher students who are considering applying for a micro-internship?

I would encourage current Goucher students to apply for a micro-internship that aligns with a job they would want to have after graduation. Much of the work I did during my micro-internship overlapped with the full-time job I got after graduation. The micro-internship confirmed that it was work I was interested in and capable of doing in my career. Participating in the Micro-Internship Program (or any internship) can help clarify what you are and are not looking for when applying for jobs after graduation.

In your opinion, what makes the Micro-Internship Program so valuable for both students and hosts?

The Micro-Internship Program is a unique opportunity for current students to connect with alumni and for alumni to stay involved with the Goucher community. I find the project-based nature of the internship to be especially valuable for both the student and the host to hopefully leave the experience with a clear product of their time working together.