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Behind the Scenes: My Transformative Journey as an APAGS Intern

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On my first day working as an intern for the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), I opened my computer with a thrilling mix of excitement and nerves. I wasn’t entirely sure what my responsibilities would entail, but I was eager to dive in and help communicate valuable resources to graduate students through social media. Little did I know, the next few months would be transformative in ways I never imagined. 

In this post, I would like to share why I applied for this role, the skills and experiences I have gained, and offer some tips for those interested in interning or getting involved with APAGS.

Why APAGS? 

I chose to apply for the intern position with APAGS because of my deep passion for advocating for fellow students and ensuring they have the resources and representation they deserve in the field of Psychology. I believe that community is a powerful catalyst for creating long-lasting and sustainable change, and APAGS offers a vibrant community of diverse students from whom I knew I could learn and grow from. My enthusiasm for systemic change within academia, combined with my love for content creation, drove me directly to this role. I wanted to do my part in helping graduate students, like myself, have accessible ways of acquiring all the opportunities that APA and APAGS has for navigating the complex world of academia and psychology. 

What I learned

During my time at APAGS, I’ve learned an incredible amount. One of the first and most important lessons was the significance of coalition building at every stage of planning. Although I have been involved in several organizations before, I never fully grasped the iterative process of ensuring everyone’s representation in webinars, events, and posts. APAGS taught me the meaning of framing, teamwork, and serving at all levels. 

As for content creation, which I absolutely love, I discovered the vital importance of scheduling. Planning out a month in advance what content we wanted to create and post provided a clear vision of the organization’s priorities and helped to maximize the reach and impact of the resources we share. 

Tips

  1. Apply for a position: If you want to get involved in advocacy of all kinds for graduate students, consider applying for a committee or subcommittee position. It’s a great way to expose yourself to like-minded individuals across the field. 
  2. Create a portfolio: If this is a position you’re interested in, have a portfolio or examples of some of the content you have created in the past. 
  3. Be open to iteration: Planning is not a one-step process. Be prepared to revise and improve your ideas based on feedback and new information. This approach ensures that the final outcome is well-rounded and meets the needs of the community.
  4. Develop strong organizational skills: Effective event planning and content creation require meticulous organization. Keep a detailed schedule of your tasks and deadlines. This will help you manage your responsibilities efficiently and ensure that important details are not overlooked. 

Reflecting on my time as an intern with APAGS, I am filled with immense gratitude for the invaluable experiences and lessons I have gained. From the importance of community and coalition building in event planning to the strategic organization required for effective content creation, each aspect of this internship has significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth. The opportunity to advocate for and support fellow graduate students has been both rewarding and transformative. I am deeply thankful to APAGS for providing me with this platform to learn, grow, and make a positive impact. To anyone considering an internship with APAGS, I highly recommend embracing this incredible opportunity to engage with a diverse community and make a meaningful difference. 

About the Author:

Lauryn Hoard is a second-year clinical psychology graduate student at George Washington University and was the 2024 summer intern for the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). Her current research interests pertain to examining the effects of offline and online racial discrimination and protective factors in Black Americans. When she is not doing work, she is either running, doing Pilates, trying new foods, reading a book, or watching a documentary. Follow me on @asoulsticecollective to stay connected! 

6 Tips to Help You Become a Better Writer

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“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” – Ernest Hemingway

Being confident in your ability to formulate thoughts into words that end up as coherent text on paper is a necessary skill for succeeding in your graduate career, to say nothing of life beyond. Yet many students view good writing not as a skill—that is, something that can be learned—but as a blessing gifted to the fortunate few: like winning the lottery or having nice hair.

But as your incoming APAGS Member-at-Large, Research/Academic Focus , I’m here to tell you that writing is a skill, and becoming a better writer takes little more than practice, dedication, and time. As communicating ideas through writing is an essential aspect of psychological science, I’ve assembled some tips for how to become a better scientific writer below. They may not make academic life effortless, but they do a pretty good job at stopping the bleeding.

  1. Write what you mean…

Seems pretty simple, right? More often than not though we find ourselves knee-deep in word-muck at the end of our third paragraph, unable to decipher which variable we hypothesized to predict what outcome. At the outset, it is very easy to get wrapped up in jargon so write exactly what you mean, even if it sounds (at first blush) like a kindergartner wrote your introduction. You can always go back through your writing a second time to polish it up, but the single most important thing in writing is to manifest readable content.

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