Internships and practicums are a required component of nearly all degree programs in human services and its subfields--and most are unpaid. These unpaid positions often have a disproportionate impact for BIPOC and first-generation students, especially women--many of whom are economically disadvantaged and must work to support themselves and…

Access to higher education has increased within the last decades, particularly within historically underserved communities, but the challenges of navigating college for first-generation Latino/a/x students still show up in the disproportionate rates of retention, persistence, and graduation for this group (National Center for Education Statistics,…

Research shows that enriching learning experiences such as learning communities, service-learning, undergraduate research, internships, and senior culminating experiences -- collectively known as High-Impact Practices (HIPs) -- are positively associated with student engagement; deep, and integrated learning; and personal and educational gains for…