2021 recipient of the Audrey J. Harris Summer Internship Award
Interned with the Dane County Juvenile Reception Center
I am immensely grateful that I was able to intern at the Dane County Juvenile Reception Center
this summer. Throughout my internship, I was able to shadow intake counselors and learn more
about the intake process for juveniles when they enter the facility. This allowed me to have
opportunities to talk with the kids, and learn more about them in order to understand their
situation. I was also able to work closely with my supervisor which allowed me to attend court
hearings such as custody hearings, custody reviews, pleas and dispositions. Overall, I was able to
learn a great deal about the Juvenile Justice System and all of the different actors involved.
Through this internship, I was also able to meet a Judge/Commissioner, a Social Worker, a
District Attorney, a Police Officer and a Public Defender. Meeting with these actors opened my
eyes up to the complexity of the Juvenile Justice System, and helped me to understand the
collaboration that occurs within the system. My internship and these meetings also allowed me to
make connections in the professional world, which I will utilize in the future.
I am going into my senior year of undergrad, and afterwards I hope to take a gap year or two and
work as a Legal Assistant. After that I plan to go to Law School and pursue a career as an
attorney in Criminal, Immigration or Contract Law.