Ligaya Garibay '25
Ligaya Garibay ‘25, a senior psychology major and sociology minor at Illinois College, has found immense value in internships as a way to shape her future career path.
Originally from Waukegan, Illinois, Garibay transferred to Illinois College last year and quickly became involved, balancing her internship with roles on the volleyball team and as a resident assistant. Her experience exemplifies the way internships can provide students with hands-on learning while enriching their campus experience.
Garibay’s internship in the Center for Student Engagement, Inclusion, and Belonging (CSEIB) has allowed her to explore career paths, refine her skills, and build connections. Working directly with event programming, budgeting, and student engagement initiatives, she’s gained insight into higher education administration—a field she’s now considering. “This internship has shown me that higher ed might be the right fit,” she explained. “It’s given me a chance to apply psychology and sociology in real-world settings and see how I can make an impact on campus.”
Garibay credits her advisors and professors for guiding her toward the internship and making it flexible enough to fit her busy schedule. “This experience helped me see that internships can be manageable, even with a packed schedule,” she said. "Don't let the busyness deter you. It’s possible to balance everything and gain so much from it. If I can do it, anyone can.”