Nicole Dixon expanded her role at her current organization to create a learning opportunity with AI that served her both professionally and academically.
How did you get your internship and why did you choose it?
I was very lucky that the place where I have worked for three years has already allowed several other internship opportunities to other UA students. I met with my manager, devised a creative way to learn and grow in both settings, and once she approved, I felt it was the best place for me to intern.
I chose this internship because it provided a valuable learning experience and offered me advantages both professionally and academically. I was able to apply for this internship at my current job and leverage my position to do both work and school credit at the same time. For someone unable to sacrifice income to pursue an internship, this was truly a unique opportunity.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship selection or experience?
My internship experience was unique because I was able to overlap my academic goals with my job expectations. I created an opportunity to utilize new AI platforms to improve my work processes and procedures, as well as use this as learning experience in collaboration, leadership, presentation skills, and integrating model context protocol (MCP) functionality into our current platforms.
What new knowledge and skills did you develop in this internship?
I learned a lot about using AI and the difference between using it to improve a task and using it unnecessarily. It does take skill to get good at asking AI platforms good quality prompts, and there is also some skill in recognizing when you should and should not use AI. I learned how to utilize Claude Agentic AI to improve office functionality, decrease time lags, increase efficacy and accuracy, and test its abilities to audit and identify areas of improvement that may not have been obvious.
How was the internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
My internship experience relates to my Applied Humanities degree in that I can appreciate the input and output of the humans who work on projects or alongside me. I was hesitant to use AI for a long time and did not see its appeal. I have a new appreciation for AI capabilities, and it has also allowed me to better appreciate the effort, understanding, capacity, and knowledge of those I work with. I also gained confidence in my ability to lead a project and collaborate with another intern.
What was your favorite part of your internship? Why?
My favorite part of this internship is being the leader and being considered the “go-to” person on the project. This type of project management is where I thrive, and I enjoy being the person who helps others learn and gain from the experience. I also really enjoy collaborative work. I have a true appreciation for differences in viewpoints and perceptions, and I consider it a gift in the working world.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
The impact of my internship has been both academic and professional. I learned most about when AI platforms improve certain tasks, and when they blur the line between helping and hindering. Being more aware of how to work with AI, using concise prompts, and knowing when I can complete the task in less time and still achieve accuracy. Professionally, I used the AI platform for a variety of everyday tasks and logged my results. This log informed the company’s decision to keep or discard the enterprise-level AI subscription. My use of the AI platform was a major factor in continuing the company's use and in introducing this use to other colleagues. My work will also provide examples of how we can use AI to improve the time, effort, and accuracy of our work.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and/or begin their internship?
My advice is to keep an open mind about which companies may offer opportunities that will benefit your learning experience. In the Applied Humanities degree, the opportunities are endless. Create a clear plan for yourself, and make sure that any internship applications you submit lay out your goals clearly and ensure they are achievable for the company you apply to. The best opportunity for you may not always be the ones that pay. Make sure to utilize the company’s resources, knowledge, skills, and networking to capitalize on your experience. Always keep a running contact log so that when you complete your internship, you can possibly maintain some connections that will propel your professional career.