Every year, the majority of undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis spend the summer shadowing professionals and trying on a new career over the summer through internship programs with local and national organizations and nonprofits.
These internships are an essential part of the college experience and the WUSTL Career Center encourages students to complete at least one internship before graduating.
“Internships provide you with the opportunity to test drive a career field, make contacts, build marketable skills and figure out your likes and dislikes within specific industries,” says Mark Smith, JD, assistant vice chancellor and director of the Career Center.
“Students with internship experience have better success with their job search or graduate school application process,” Smith says.
On Wednesday, Sept. 19, more than 115 organizations, representing 30-plus industries, will be recruiting WUSTL students and alumni at the annual Fall Internship & Job Career Fair. The fair will take place from 3-7 p.m. at the Athletic Complex on the Danforth Campus.
Following are a sampling of recent student internship experiences this past summer:
Deeksha Bhat —Bain & Company, Dallas
After spending a summer in Morocco, Bhat, a senior in Arts & Sciences majoring in international and area studies and economics and strategy, said she wanted to hone her skills in a corporate setting, something she had never done before. The experience at Bain & Company allowed her to problem-solve with the research team and gain hands-on experience with a variety of clients.
Kelsey Brod — David Krut Projects in Johannesburg, South Africa
As a printing assistant, Brod worked with the master printer and workshop manager to produce a series of etchings, run a monotype workshop and assemble prints for artist William Kentridge. Brod is a senior in art majoring in printmaking and environmental studies.
Marcus Brown — Kirkwood Economic Development Corp LLC
Brown, a senior in Arts & Sciences majoring in urban studies, worked with Jack Kirkland, associate professor of social work, on a community development project in East St. Louis with funding from the Goldman Fellows Program. Brown assisted with the first phase of project development, which included brainstorming and engaging with federal agencies, businesses and community centers.
Olivia Cosentino — Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
In the volunteer lawyers program, Cosentino helped manage cases for clients by writing summaries, gathering court documents or police reports and facilitating matches of clients with volunteer lawyers. Cosentino is a junior in Arts & Sciences majoring in Spanish and Latin American studies.
Timothy Greer — U.S. Navy in San Diego
As an intern in Information Operations, Greer helped investigate the factors that may precipitate the chance of an insurgence attack in Afghanistan. Greer said his internship required an interdisciplinary and creative approach as he had to integrate ideas from statistics, social psychology and computer science. Greer is a junior in engineering majoring in systems science.
Lena Kelly — Answers.com, St. Louis
Answers.com hired more than 10 student interns this summer. Kelly, a junior in Arts & Sciences majoring in international and area studies and Spanish with a minor in psychology, worked as a content intern. Responsibilities for interns ranged from building content, designing sites and addressing business issues.
Michael Rosengart — Golf Magazine
Rosengart combined his passion for writing and golf in an internship with Golf Magazine, part of the Sports Illustrated Group owned by Time Inc., where he produced daily articles for online publication. “Seeing my stories on the website homepage, or even on CNN.com, was a source of tremendous pride for me,” Rosengart says. “Making it all the better was the fact that the editors did a terrific job of helping me hone my journalistic skills in the process.” He is a senior in Arts & Sciences majoring in political science.
To read more student stories and learn about a variety of internship programs, visit the Career Center online at careercenter.wustl.edu.