I’m really excited. A lot of college students don’t get a job offer right after they graduate. I’m very grateful and excited for this opportunity right after college.
Last fall, Loyalty Cannon, ’23, walked into the East Campus Commons on the way to pick up her textbooks for the semester when she noticed that members of the Bridgewater State University Police Department (BSUPD) were hosting a “Popcorn with Police” event. Cannon didn’t think much of it until BSU community liaison Aboubacar Diakite offered her a free bag of popcorn.
She didn’t know it then, but Cannon was about to gain more than just a mid-day snack. The small gesture ultimately led her to an internship and eventual career.
Cannon listened as Diakite explained that his role as liaison on campus was to help bridge the gap between the BSU community and BSUPD. A few weeks later, she ran into him again at the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice sponsored Bears Fighting Hunger event.
“I asked how she was doing and offered her my card and told her my door was always open,” Diakite said.
This time Cannon, a criminal justice major, took him up on his offer and shared with him her struggles in finding an internship.
“I had applied for many internships, but nothing was working out. I needed an internship to graduate with my degree in criminal justice and was feeling a bit overwhelmed,” she said.
Diakite listened and asked her to bring in her resume and to write up a cover letter. Together they made appropriate edits and sent them off to prospective employers, including the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.
Soon, Cannon heard back and was invited to interview for an internship.
In short order, she was relieved to be offered a dual internship, working in both the human resources department and the victim women’s advocate program.
“I gained a lot from the internship. I learned a new skill set. I had never worked in administration before and found I liked it,” she said.
Cannon also shadowed attorneys in the program and learned how to better help victims by collecting pertinent information in a clear and concise manner to assist victims with their cases.
“My supervisors were so knowledgeable. I got real-world experience, watched trials, and was able to see firsthand how things work behind the scenes,” Cannon said.
With a month left in her internship, Cannon was approached by her supervisor with a job offer. After weighing her options, she applied for and was offered the position of internship coordinator in the human resource department.
“I’m really excited. A lot of college students don’t get a job offer right after they graduate. I’m very grateful and excited for this opportunity right after college,” she said.
Cannon is also grateful that Diakite offered her that free bag of popcorn, without making that connection, she wouldn’t be on her current path.
“I’m so appreciative that he helped me get this internship and after I started the internship, he didn’t throw me to the wind, he checked in and asked how it was going and what I was learning. He has been a great mentor from the first time I met him,” she said. “He’s such a great person to have a Bridgewater State, he’s very resourceful, caring, and genuine in everything he does, not only for me, but for many students at BSU.”
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