Hunting down an internship can sound like an overwhelming process for college students, but the Internships Are for Everyone Lunch n’ Learn helped dispel some of those fears by hosting a talk and panel. 

Organized by Career Services, this casual event featured a panel of four Franciscan students who have participated in successful internships. From 11 to 12 p.m. on Feb. 27, the panel shared their experiences and tips with students in the Household Commons. 

After attendees filled their plates with free Filet-O-Fish sandwiches from McDonald’s, Jessica Ellingsworth, Manager of Internships and Career Services, opened the event with some icebreakers. She then introduced the panel’s four presenters: Claire Cardie, Evie Wendell, Ian Jaskolka, and Max Stewart. 

Cardie shared that she is interning for RacquetDesk, a sports club management system. She did not secure this internship through the traditional application route. An avid tennis player, she was aware of RacquetDesk through her tennis club at home, so she directly contacted the company’s CEO to inquire about internships. Her tenacity paid off, and she now works part time for RacquetDesk, creating features for their app and fixing software bugs.

Wendell interned for the pro-life organization Oregon Right to Life. As a high school student, she participated in their pro-life oratory contest and later reached out about interning in the summer. Her duties included tabling at county fairs, shipping resources, cold calling for volunteers, and tracking inventory. 

This spring, Wendell is delivering a 30-minute keynote for Right to Life at a national pro-life conference. Following graduation, she will work full-time for Right to Life, deepening their presence in the state of Washington. 

Jaskolka found his internship through family connections. He works in software for Avarint, a defense contractor. He holds a similar position to Cardie, spending his time fixing technological bugs in their system. He shared that, following graduation, he will be taking a full-time position at Avarint. 

Finally, Stewart described his internship for the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville, which he first encountered at a past Criminal Justice career fair. He now works for the correction center as a counselor for drug and alcohol offenders. 

According to Stewart, the internship has been challenging but extremely fulfilling. On day one of his internship, his supervisor gave him a caseload of five drug and alcohol offenders, allowing him to learn about counseling quickly and from experience. 

Each presenter emphasized that internships are an acceptable environment to make and learn from mistakes. They are an opportunity to learn from hands-on experience and supplement more traditional learning from college classes. Additionally, the presenters said that internships are the optimal time to build relationships that could lead to full-time work. 

They also shared some practical advice. Cardie mentioned that at Franciscan, any student can use an internship for up to 6.00 college credits. That loophole makes it easier to balance internships with coursework. Stewart also recommended that, if possible, underclassmen should schedule their hardest classes for the first two years of college in order to free their junior and senior years for internships.  With these stories and tips from experienced peers, attendees gained valuable knowledge for future internships.