Internship discrimination: recognizing, discussing, and addressing

At Summa, we consider discrimination during internships an important topic. It directly impacts equal opportunities and how students develop during their studies. Therefore, we are taking steps to better recognize signs and to engage in dialogue about this.

We offer courses to teachers, conduct research, and ensure that the reporting point is visible and accessible. But it starts with listening. With giving space to the experiences of students and teachers.

Yasemin's story shows what discrimination during internships means in practice and why it is and remains necessary to take action.

Ten years after Yasemin Asil started as a student at Home & Design, she returned as an English teacher. “That felt like a full circle moment,” she says. “But it also brought back memories.” She thoroughly enjoyed the Interior Design course. Her passion for interiors had always been there. The internships were another story.

In my time, I worked from 2015 to 2019 Interior Design “After we had finished our studies, the two of us were the only ones wearing headscarves at Wonen & Design. Many internship companies weren’t used to that.” She soon realized that finding an internship would be difficult. “My friend, who also wore a headscarf, said: we can always go to a Turkish furniture store. But there, you basically had to come up with your own internship. It didn’t really align with what we were learning.” Yasemin wanted more. A substantive internship. With customer contact. So she applied.

“I was eighteen. Just moved from Almere to Eindhoven. New city, new school. And then I received an email from a company where I had applied.” The message was clear: she was not hired because of her headscarf. “I was angry. But I didn’t fully realize what was happening yet. I deleted that email and ultimately didn’t report it to the school.” It felt like a hard landing in a new environment. “I thought: okay… so that’s how things work here.” She was wary. She wanted to fit in and didn’t want to confirm a negative image.

She couldn't find an internship. She was the only one without a spot. Eventually, she interned at a Turkish furniture store and came up with an assignment herself to pass. She finished with a 5,5. “Then I thought: fine, I'm done with it.”

Finding an internship remained difficult in the years that followed as well. Sometimes traveling further just to find a place she could find. Accepting what was possible, instead of choosing what suited her. During her final exams, she leafed through the portfolios of classmates. “They had done such beautiful assignments. Projects they were passionate about. I was jealous. That was the moment I realized: we don't all start with the same opportunities.”

After graduating, Yasemin went to higher professional education. There she grew, as a person and a professional. “I thought: I don’t want these experiences to define who I am.”

Through a friend, she heard about a vacancy for an English teacher at Interieuradvies. She applied and was hired. “Now I can combine my passion for interior design with English. In this role, I can really express myself.” Still, the first few weeks were difficult for Yasemin. The first weeks were confronting. “I walked through the building and thought: I cried here. And there too.” The old building, where she herself once studied, is still standing and classes are still taught there occasionally. That made it extra emotionally charged in the beginning. The program moved to the building next door a few years ago. That new environment helped her to better separate the past from the present.

Recently, a third-year student shared that she had experienced discrimination during her internship in her second year. She reported this but did not want anything to be done about it, out of fear of having to do another internship and falling behind. “She was constantly asked questions about her faith. She eventually initiated the conversation herself and completed her internship with a good grade. But she will carry that experience with her forever.”

“If your name doesn’t sound Western, it can already be more difficult,” says Yasemin. “I find it terrible that it still happens.” Yasemin took the training. From internship discrimination to internship equality“Much of it resonated with me. But it also provided practical tools and insight.” Her message to colleagues is clear: “We educate students. If a student cannot successfully complete their studies due to discrimination, then we must do something.”

It starts with listening. Engaging in conversation, even when it is uncomfortable. Letting students feel that they are not alone. Taking signals seriously. Making the reporting point visible and knowing how it works.

Steps have already been taken within the study program. There is more attention, more support, students are listened to better, and they try to pick up on signals sooner. But continued vigilance is necessary. For Yasemin, it is clear what is at stake: equal opportunities. “No student should have to settle for a 5,5 because opportunities are unequally distributed.”

Her call is therefore clear: start the conversation and file a report. And work together to ensure that every student gets the chance to get the most out of his or her education.

Discuss it with your mentor or work placement supervisor. You can also contact a confidential counsellor. Do you want to file a report? You can do so via this formTo learn more, download here. the PDF about internship discrimination.

You are not alone. Together, we will look at what is needed, such as a different internship placement or extra support.