Gatekeeping is nothing new, in fact, it is somewhat of a cultural tradition. When a newcomer — specifically a young person — joins an organization, they are often relegated to the bottom of the social and professional hierarchy until they work their way up. Gatekeeping intentionally keeps someone uninformed and therefore, keeps them in a powerless position.

We all know the archetype of the unpaid intern. They spend their days getting coffee and doing the work no one wants to do, while receiving little to no recognition from full-time staff. This is justified as a means of ‘getting a foot in the door’ and gaining industry experience that will hopefully lead to a successful career. But in critically thinking about unpaid internships, we can see that they are out of date and exploitative.

What we need is to see our concerns, our ideas and feedback reflected in the actions of our institutions and organizations. As vaccines allow us to imagine a world after COVID-19, organizations can help shape our future by implementing changes that will address our immediate concerns and allow us to pursue our long-term goals amidst the uncertainty that our generations will be inheriting.