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Lander Junior Accepted for Internship at Harvard

Courtesy of the Index-Journal

DJ StroudD.J. Stroud won't be spending his summer relaxing at his home in Latta before heading back to school at Lander University -- instead, he'll be spending it interning at Harvard University. Stroud was accepted for summer resident assistant internships at three Ivy League schools before accepting Harvard's invitation. He had to decide which program to attend for the summer within 24 hours after Columbia University, Brown University and Harvard called him to offer an internship.

A junior undergraduate sociology major, Stroud is also a head resident adviser. He is staying on Harvard's campus from June 18 to Aug. 4 through an internship with the Association of College and University Housing Officers. "The assistant director of Housing and Residence Life, Zach Helms, first came to me about it because I had decided to go into student affairs for my graduate school and then career," Stroud said.

Stroud has not had an internship before, and hopes his time on Harvard's campus will give him experience to add to his resume. During the summer months, Stroud will serve as a resident assistant in a dormitory for summer programs Harvard has for which students are on campus. He will also be a program proctor.

"I think it'll be more like the position above me now that Lander has as a residence life coordinator. I'll be more responsible for the people that I do supervise, whereas here I only have, I guess you could say more of a moderate level of responsibility," Stroud said. "There I'll be the one contacted for emergency situations that kind of has to come up with the solution."

Lillian Craton, director of the Honors College at Lander, said Stroud is ambitious and bright, and a student whom teachers look forward to having in their classrooms.

"It is that natural concern for other people that makes him such a good fit as one of Lander's head resident advisers and as a future professional in student life," Craton said.

Craton said he has developed as a person and student since he first started at Lander. "When he arrived at Lander, he was definitely a worrier who got nervous about life's twists and turns," Craton said. "Instead of letting that stop him from exploring the world, though, he's chosen to dive right into some huge challenges. Harvard is lucky to have him."

The farthest Stroud has been from South Carolina so far is New York where the Honors College students visited during a trip with the school. "It was kind of like a moment of shock. Like, I couldn't really believe it," Stroud said of getting the Harvard internship.