Akshita Prakash DRC'26 Externs at Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI)

This past spring break, Douglass students completed Spring Externships around the region. Externships, offered through the Reilly BOLD program for Advancing Women’s Professional Development, are immersive job-shadowing experiences that pair students with professional mentors in an industry of interest. For many students, an externship is their first glimpse at the working world.

Akshita Prakash DRC '26, a Biological Sciences major and French minor, externed at Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI).

“This semester, I had the incredible opportunity to complete an externship at PCDI, a leader in behavior analytic services for individuals with autism. I worked closely with expert educators and behavior analysts to observe and understand how evidence-based interventions support learning across different age groups.”

In addition to classroom observations and professional development meetings, she gained firsthand experience in reviewing and discussing data collection practices, implementing behavior techniques in academic instruction, engaging with mentors and staff committed to person-centered care, and exploring how applied behavior analysis (ABA) can be used to empower individuals with autism.

“This externship strengthened my interest in developmental and behavioral health and ignited my passion towards integrating public health, medicine, and communication to support underserved populations,” Akshita said. “I’m grateful for the educators, specialists, and students who made this experience so impactful!”

“Douglass alumni make inspiring site mentors for our externship program. Interested in hosting a Douglass student at your company? Connect with Chrissy Oller DRC’16 at christine.oller@rutgers.edu for more information”