Summer Internship Spotlight: Reflections From Two Social Work Students

Belmont students step into the field with purpose and heart 

Two Belmont social work students — Ryann Sinar and Skyler Duplessis — spent the summer giving back to the Nashville community and gaining hands-on field experience through an internship with Youth Villages, a nonprofit that assists young adults with behavioral and emotional challenges.  

Youth Villages hire students from all around the country to deepen their skills and better understand behavioral health in an attainable way. For Sinar and Duplessis, the opportunity led them to work within Nashville group homes where their general responsibilities included building relationships with the youth, creating skill-building lesson plans, filing documentation and supporting the youth with their daily activity. 

The students shared their thoughts and reflections on their summer internship with Youth Villages. 

Ryann Sinar: Learning the Power of Connection in Youth Work

Hometown: Centennial, CO

Class of 2026

Throughout her summer interning with Youth Villages, Sinar was given a treasured experience as an undergraduate student. She noted, “there are not many organizations that allow bachelor's-level students the hands-on work that Youth Villages does.”  

Realizing the strength of relationships: “Walking into the home for the first time, I was ready to face every conversation and interaction as therapeutic. But one coworker showed me the value of relationships and connection with youth, rather than staying in a strictly therapeutic mindset. tend to be a very by-the-book person, but through this internship I learned about the many ways working with at-risk youth can look and how it doesn’t have to look exactly like the textbook to be effective.” 

On her experience overall, Sinar reflected, “Working with Youth Village this summer gave me experience with a population I had never worked with before. It showed me how much I genuinely loved it, as well as it influenced my understanding of the environment I want to work in.” 

Skyler Duplessis: Getting a Head-Start on Real-World Experience

Skyler Duplessis (l)

Hometown: Franklin, TN

Class of 2027

For Duplessis, Youth Villages provided an opportunity to explore avenues of social work with hands-on experience a bit earlier in her career. “Given that I am a social work student, I knew I would complete field work in my senior year. However, as a rising junior, I wanted the opportunity to be immersed in my field before that time to gain hands-on experience,” she said.  

A Mindset For Change: "This internship gave me valuable insight into not only the skills, but the mindset needed to make a difference in these children's lives. Many of these children come from situations and environments that have negatively impacted their lives, often through circumstances entirely out of their control.”  

Finding the Right Fit in Social Work: “After my internship ended, I returned for a visit and one youth — who was never much of a hugger — came running up to me and gave me a huge hug. That simple moment helped me realize just how much of an impact I had on his life and reaffirmed why I want to continue working with children in my future career, and that this is right where I needed to be.” 

From Belmont Classroom to Nashville Community 

The two students were able to apply knowledge from curriculum, faculty and other classmates into their work with the youth. “Concepts and theories I learned in my social work courses all came to life during my internship,” Duplessis recalled. “Understanding trauma-informed care and developmental stages helped me interact more effectively with the youth, and coursework on ethics and boundaries guided my decision-making in situations.” 

Not only did the two students get the opportunity to connect their classroom experiences to their work, they also gained new understanding of social work settings and what kinds of organizations they might want to work for. “In working with at-risk youth, you learn a lot about verbal de-escalation and processing skills as well as how important building rapport is,” Sinar explained. “I also realized how much I value a workplace environment that fosters friendship and fun with your coworkers.”  

Through the social work program at Belmont, Sinar and Duplessis were able to utilize important knowledge and skills and tailor them to a real-world environment. Their work and education within Belmont and Youth Villages will continue to strengthen their community connections and overall development.