Michael Hansom, a resident of East Liberty, landed a summer internship with the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning as an American Disabilities Act Compliance Intern.
Hansom is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Point Park University in Downtown Pittsburgh and is expected to graduate in August.
“As a person on the autism spectrum, I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do it. It was a very tough road for me as a kid, but I made it through a lot of difficulties and have been able to accomplish my goals. My huge interest in the criminal justice major is because of the interesting career opportunities this field offers,” said Hansom
What factors made you choose Point Park to study criminal justice?
I chose Point Park to study criminal justice during my senior year at CCAC. I heard that Point Park had a very good program in criminal justice and wanted to further my knowledge in that field and earn a bachelor’s degree.
Also, as a person on the autism spectrum, I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do it. It was a very tough road for me as a kid, but I made it through a lot of difficulties and have been able to accomplish my goals. My huge interest in the criminal justice major is because of the interesting career opportunities this field offers.
Tell us about your key responsibilities as an ADA compliance intern.
In this internship, I have a lot of responsibilities. My work includes various administrative duties such as helping to put agendas and meeting minutes together for the monthly City Task Force meetings. I also assist at meetings. Most recently, I attended the Zone 1 Police Station meeting that focused on the topic of training police officers to properly deal with individuals who have disabilities.
How have Point Park classes prepared you for this internship?
One particular class that really helped me with this internship would be the Corrections, Probation and Parole course with Professor Trudy Avery. Ms. Avery was actually one of the main reasons I applied for this internship. She gave me a book to borrow called Jumpstarting Your Career: An Internship Guide for Criminal Justice. In that book, it showed the steps on how to get an internship, gave examples of internships for criminal justice majors and provided additional helpful information. I also got advice from Ms. Aurelia Carter, a well-known advocate for the disabilities community in Pittsburgh.
What have you enjoyed most about being a Pioneer?
I’ve enjoyed everything about being a Pioneer because faculty and staff at this school have been wonderful. Also, the location of campus has been very convenient.
What are your career goals?
I’m still looking at all of my options on what I want to do with my criminal justice degree. Two options I’m considering are working within the federal government or at the Allegheny County Courthouse.
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