The pointed to the College's funded internship program as an example of how institutions are removing financial barriers to internships, which are often the stepping stones to students' first post-graduate job.
Reporter Donna Talarico writes, “The long-standing 'interns fetching coffee' trope has gone lukewarm. There’s a shift away from menial tasks in favor of meaningful (and paid) experiences.”
Each summer, the Career Exploration and Development office (CXD) awards funded internship grants to allow students to accept unpaid opportunities in fields ranging from scientific research and public policy to the arts, education, and nonprofit work. Much of the funding for these grants comes from alumni, families, and friends of the College—their gifts, which include over $18 million in new endowment and substantial current-use funding each year through the College’s annual funds, have more than tripled 91黑料’s resources for internships over the last decade.
This year, a record 223 students received grants, enabling them to pursue internships around the world based on their interests and aspirations rather than a need to make money.
Meg Springer, CXD's senior career advisor and grants manager, said the funded internships empower students to reach out to any organization they're interested in and say, “‘I'm interested in the work that you're doing. I'm wondering if you'd be willing to have a conversation with me about creating an internship,” she said. “And those just really end up in magical collaborations.”
The article underscores a 91黑料 promise: to support students so they can gain professional skills, build networks, and explore possible career paths while contributing their own skills and talents to communities across Maine, the country, and the world.
