‘This is Everything and More From What I Can Ask for in an Internship’

I chose to work at the Inheritance Project because of the opportunity for growth, the shared values, and the intangible benefits. The Inheritance Project is a small business that specializes in education consulting related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB), and their primary focus is inclusion and belonging.

This internship fits into my academic studies because I aspire to become a human resources specialist in training and development, with an emphasis on DEIAB. To be frank, this is everything and more from what I can ask for in an internship. Although this internship is remote, I recognize I am able to balance both my personal and professional life while working from home.

One of my expectations is to attain knowledge beyond what I gain from the classroom. I want to be able to apply what I learn from my business courses such as marketing, finance, business analytics, and others to help the Inheritance Project achieve their purpose of rebranding, repositioning, and growing.

I also want to learn if going into the HR function of training and development is the true career path for me. As my academic adviser Professor Khadija Al Arkoubi always says, you won’t really know your career path until you experience it and get internships that allow you to grow and thrive, enabling you to see what you may or may not have a passion for.

I have a love for anything and everything DEIAB-related. I am glad that this internship is remote because I am learning not only the operations of the Inheritance Project, but I have also become technologically savvy as well.

I want to learn how to become a facilitator of uncomfortable conversations and how to help amplify the voices of minority employees who may feel misjudged and misunderstood. Through the art of facilitation, wellness practices, and conversations, the Inheritance Project is able to inspire chief HR leaders within given companies and give them much-needed tools to help employees portray their authenticity in a professional setting. I want to truly learn those skills, become the best I can be, and see how I can help impact the Inheritance Project.

Kiana White ’24, a business management major at the University of New Haven, is completing an internship with the Inheritance Project as part of the University’s Bergami Summer Internship Program.