Ankita and the Learning and Development team. (From left: Oscar Lara, Miranda Josafat, Ankita Reddy and Annie Prozan.)

The following article was shared by Ankita Reddy.

In early 2026, hoping to avoid another summer of endlessly scrolling through TikTok and chauffeuring my younger brother around, I submitted more than 60 applications for summer internships.

I received exactly one interview.

At the time, I was a rising junior at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in psychological and brain sciences and minoring in statistical science — which is just a more confusing way of saying, “I have no clue what I want to do with my life.”

As people often remind me, “You’re 20! It’s okay to not know yet.” I believe them, but that can be difficult to remember when it seems like all my peers somehow have three majors, five part-time jobs and a million club president titles.

So when I interviewed with Annie Prozan for the Learning and Development (L&D) internship at UCOP, I was sure I wouldn’t get the position — even though I thought the interview went well.

Thankfully, Annie saw something in me, and I had the privilege of being UCOP’s L&D intern that summer.

Over the course of three months, I helped facilitate trainings, supported the management of the UC Learning Center and transformed more than 400 slides to align with new federal accessibility guidelines.

My largest project was creating L&D’s first annual impact report. I built it from the ground up by consolidating and analyzing data, and then designing a report that effectively communicated L&D’s impact.

However, the most valuable skills I took away from the summer were the “power skills” I gained: communication, initiative, curiosity and a willingness to try and fail.

As a chronic perfectionist, I have always disliked being wrong. But that summer taught me how to take a leap of faith and accept that not every attempt will be perfect. I wouldn’t be a good L&D intern if I didn’t understand how important mistakes are for growth.

With Annie’s encouragement, I also connected with people across UCOP to learn more about their roles — something that, as an introvert, was far outside my comfort zone. These conversations exposed me to new careers and taught me that professional paths aren’t usually linear.

I am beyond grateful to Annie Prozan, Oscar Lara, Miranda Josafat, Catherine Burns and the Internship Program Team for giving me the chance to work at UCOP and supporting me through it all. Thank you to everyone at UCOP for welcoming and inspiring me. This organization makes me so proud to be a UC student!

I started the internship unsure whether I even deserved an interview. I am leaving a more confident and well-rounded professional and individual.

I still may not know exactly where I am going, but I now trust that I will find my way there.

Thank you again to the Intern Program Team for supporting the interns this summer, including Kelly Howard, Erin Warnock-Smith, Jeff Korec, Miusette Garcia, Katiria Jimenez, Alice Cheng, and Guilo Fajardo.

If you are interested in hiring a summer intern, please visit this page.

If you are interested in joining UCOP as a summer intern, please visit this page.

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