Psychology Student Interns with PA Board of Pardons

Psychology major Ethan Schultz ’20 spent the fall semester of his junior year as an intern at Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons, reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing requests for pardons.

“I would read all about the crimes of those seeking pardons, why they did it, how they felt about it, and what they had been doing since the offense, along with other information,” he said. “I would then type all of the relevant information from this file into an analysis report.” 

Schultz said his classwork and writing assignments developed the skills he needed for his role, such as writing clearly and concisely. He also learned important lessons at his internship that he will carry forward into his career.

“I learned more about treating all clients the same way no matter what you may think of them personally,” he said. “I had to read about a lot of crimes, and in some cases, it seemed clear that the applicant did not deserve a pardon. However, I had to record their side of the story and their explanation of events, even if I did not think they were true.”

Schultz, who first developed an interest in psychology through a high school class, has benefited from strong faculty connections with Dr. Michael Kitchens and Dr. Martha Thompson. They have answered questions, guided him through this internship requirements, and prepared him for graduation.

When it came time for career planning, Schultz credits his sophomore seminar course for offering further critical assistance. After LVC, Schultz would like to work as a drug and alcohol counselor and may pursue graduate school to become a licensed professional counselor.