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Profile
of Kaitlin Hravnak, Intern, Pennsylvania Legal Services, 12/05
Story by Jon Ebel
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
Kaitlin
Hravnak was always interested in a career in law and thought an
internship with Pennsylvania Legal Services was a good idea. Pennsylvania
Legal Services is a statewide developer and coordinator for the
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN), which consists of 16 legal
aid organizations throughout Pennsylvania that provide free civil
legal aid to low-income individuals, families, and communities who
have nowhere else to turn.
Kaitlin found out about this internship opportunity through the
Regional Internship Center (RIC) of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In
searching for an internship, Kaitlin sent cover-letter-style emails
to several interesting job sites while supervisors could access
her resume through the RIC site. Pennsylvania Legal Services was
one of several organizations to respond to her inquiry. Kaitlin
called the PLS supervisor right away to set up an interview.
Most of Kaitlin’s time on site involves writing and conducting
research alone, which is her preferred work style. She has been
writing vignettes that will eventually be published in a report
by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Task Force on Student
Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Assistance.
One of the best moments during her internship was when she had chocolate
raspberry crem brulee at lunch with her supervisor. The treat surely
made up for the time she had to read 74 survey packets!
Since her internship, Kaitlin thinks differently about projects.
As opposed to academic writing where she submits a paper and receives
a grade, her writing on the job is constantly reviewed by not only
her immediate supervisor, but additional colleagues as well. “I
find myself writing multiple revisions to achieve something that
will make everybody happy,” she says.
Kaitlin feels this internship is preparing her for law school (if
she decides to go), but it surely taught her about professional
responsibility and the experience of being held accountable for
pieces of writing that could potentially be read by large numbers
of people. Kaitlin has already signed up for an internship in London
next semester as part of the “Pitt in London Study Abroad
Program.”
Kaitlin wants potential interns to make sure they understand the
responsibilities behind an internship. “Don’t overwhelm
yourself,” she tells anyone considering an internship. “Don’t
take on an internship unless your course load is fairly light. Lots
of classes plus an internship equals major stress.”
Kaitlin is working toward double majors in nonfiction writing and
political science and enjoys classic literature and history. She
would like to work part-time as a legal consultant and part-time
as a freelance writer, writing books focusing on memoir and travel.
The Public and Professional Writing Certificate allows Kaitlin to
expand her writing skills. “[The Certificate makes] my resume
seem more well-rounded and indicate[s] that I have career skills
with more practical use than nonfiction writing alone.”
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