Summer internships help connect passions with professions
Senior Jenny Russas feels better prepared for life after graduation, thanks to the internship she had this summer with the Town of Falmouth’s Marine and Environmental Services Division.
“My internship has provided hands-on experience in the environmental field I hope to work in,” she said. “It helped me see how classroom knowledge can connect to real-world environmental work and confirmed that I want a job focused on hands-on outdoor work.”
Read more about the internship experiences of Russas and other students:
- Lexos Project, Gabriel Albernaz ’26, computer science
- Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Vienna Anosike ’27, nursing
- Veggies to Table, Mieke Buterbaugh ’27, sustainable design and development
- U.S. Senate, Charles Jagger ’26, finance
- Woodstock Film Festival, David Novak ’26, film and new media studies
- Marine and Environmental Services, Falmouth, Jenny Russas ’26, environmental science
- The Cooperation Lab at BU, Savannah Sedlock ’26, psychology and public health
- Chicago Sky (WNBA), Paige Zimmerman ’27, business and management
The opportunity to put academic learning to work is one of the main reasons that Wheaton invests in supporting student internships, said Sean Schofield, the college’s assistant vice president for Life and Career Design.
“The time spent at an internship often shows students not just what it takes to be successful at a particular employer or in an industry, but also whether or not the location and type of work would be part of their overall life goals,” he said.
“One of the top priorities for the Life and Career Design Institute (LCDI) is to increase access and awareness of experiential learning across the curriculum, throughout all four years of a student’s experience,” Schofield said.
In total, Wheaton funded 118 student internships this summer, with a $3,000 average stipend. In all, the college awarded $350,000 to support student internships.
The LCDI team also helps students arrange internships, prepare for the position—including budgeting for the experience and making the most out of opportunities to network—and will frequently also have a post-session appointment to help students reflect on their experience and update their résumé and interview strategies.
Read more about the internship experiences of the following students: