Most high school students work fast-food jobs or earn allowance money from their parents to pay for gas and other small amenities, but high school student Zoe Williamson cannot say the same. Over the summer, she completed a 6-week internship with the Nacogdoches County Courthouse in the County Attorney’s office simply for the experience.
“I have always wanted to work in the crime field, but I could never figure out exactly what type of career I wanted,” Williamson said. “I decided the best way to make a decision was to dive in headfirst and experience what it was like to be immersed in the world of criminals.”
Though it was only an internship, Williamson got hands-on experience of what working in the criminal field entails.
“I worked very closely with the Victim Assistance Coordinator, whose job was basically to make sure the victims always had a voice, though she did much more,” Williamson said. “When I worked with her, I sent out letters to victims of crimes with things like hotline numbers, helpful places to receive compensation, and letters from the county attorney’s office itself. I also had the opportunity to work directly with the County Attorney, John Fleming, but unfortunately, I am not allowed to talk about certain cases that were discussed.”
Correspondence was not Williamson’s only role in the internship. She sat through court cases, including misdemeanor and felony trials. One trial in particular took its toll on her, where a 12-year-old sexual assault victim took the witness stand.
“It was by far the hardest thing to sit through and not get emotional. Throughout my internship, I was taught to not appear emotional, which I didn’t expect to be as hard as it was. But as soon as one of those girls went on the witness stand to testify, all of that teaching went out the window, “ Williamson said. “Listening to the evidence, the witnesses, and the compelling arguments from both the defense and the state showed me how important it is for people to understand how often these things happen.”
Thankfully for her, the entire internship was not filled with tragic cases.
“I witnessed a lot of sad and harsh things during my time at the Courthouse, but I also witnessed joy and relief when families got the justice they deserved,” Williamson said.
After witnessing the ups and downs of the job, Williamson was able to finally make up her mind about her future career.
“My experience was genuinely amazing. I learned so much, made so many connections with new people, and I felt like I found my calling in life,” Williamson said. “My plan as of now is to attend Texas State University and double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice.”
Williamson learned from her experience.
“Something that was told to me a lot throughout my internship was to never stop fighting to give victims of violence a voice, no matter how loud everyone else is trying to be, and never stop fighting for your own voice, no matter how quiet you may feel.”