Mia Mitchell: InTERPShip Academy Spotlight

Rising redshirt junior Mia Mitchell from Maryland women’s soccer is gaining firsthand experience in the field of law enforcement through Maryland Made’s InTERPship Academy. 

The academy helps student-athletes at the University of Maryland gain experience and build connections in their desired field of work. The summer session, which runs from June 2 to July 25, has 37 student-athletes interning across the country. 

Mitchell is a criminal justice major and serves as an intern for the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in Lancaster, South Carolina. She detailed her experience in a Q&A with umterps.com.

What is your internship position and the name of your organization for the summer?

“I am an intern with Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in Lancaster, South Carolina. My main focus is with the Violent Crimes Task Force, which investigates murders and other violent crimes. I also work with the Crime Scene Investigations Unit.”

Why did you apply to be a part of the Maryland Made InTERPship Academy?

“I wanted to be a part of the Maryland Made InTERPship Academy because it is a great opportunity to expose myself to my future career. There is no better way to learn about this career field than to experience it firsthand.”

What are your current roles and responsibilities at your internship site?

“I move around a lot in this internship, and am required to do many different things. My main role is simple: just watching. Whether it be on a closed crime scene or an active investigation, I watch investigators and learn how they work. On scenes, sometimes I am asked to track the evidence log, and on patrol, I may run license plates through the system to look for stolen vehicles. I talk to inmates when we go to jail, and I assist officers in serving warrants. I basically just do whatever I am asked to do.”

How has this internship aligned with your expectations of what it would be like?

“This internship has allowed me to experience more than I was expecting. There are a lot more crimes committed in small towns than I was anticipating.”

How will this internship help support your future career aspirations? 

“This internship helps me get a foot in the door with my future career aspirations. It is helping me build connections with different organizations like Homeland Security and the FBI because of how much these federal organizations assist small town departments in their investigations.”

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to pursue a career in this industry?

“For anyone aspiring to get a career in law enforcement, whether it be at the federal or local level, I recommend keeping an open mind on different paths you may pursue. I’ve learned from a lot of investigators that when they first began their careers, they had aspirations for different roles and didn’t believe they would enjoy anything else. However, oftentimes in this career field, you work where you are needed, so don’t get caught up in only one idea.”

Can you share an example of an accomplishment you had during your internship or something you are proud of yourself for?

“I am proud of how comfortable I got with the people at this department. I went into this internship with preconceived notions about law enforcement in general, but I have learned to have a more open mind. Everyone I work with is great!”

Provide any additional information you’d like to share about your internship, organization, and your opportunity this summer through Maryland Made.

“The most fun part of my internship so far was the raid we did on a suspect’s house. We went in with Homeland Security, and I logged evidence collected in the suspect’s home and watched Homeland Security get into the suspect’s phone and computer systems. The most challenging part of my internship is any case we have that deals with children. Crimes against children are much more common than people may think, and it has been hard investigating these cases.”