Searching For Summer Internships
Summer internships are a staple of college life, and now that the second half of the spring semester is underway, many students are finalizing their summer plans.
Luckily for students here at Penn State, this university prides itself on its extensive alumni network. Penn State has the biggest Alumni Association in the country, with over 750,000 living alumni. The connections that students are able to make at Penn State are often a factor for students looking for internships.
For second-year Penn State student studying economics, Justin Spotts, it has been a significant part of his search. “So far, the ones that I have contacted and I am currently talking to are, I’ve made connections to Penn State… they’ve kind of allowed me to branch out to more people and more industries that I didn’t expect to go into,” Spotts said.
There are several networking events throughout the year at Penn State, and many are specific to a school within the university, like the Bellisario College of Communications.
Second-year student studying biomedical engineering, Megan Horan, has found herself at a few networking events during her time at Penn State. “I attended the career fair first in the fall and then the engineering, we had a networking night, so I think when you meet someone in person and really get to talk to them about an internship, it’s easier to apply that way.”
Because of the alumni network, Penn State students can make connections and network in a way that students at other universities can’t, and this can make the search for summer internships much easier for them.
Izzy Charboneau is a second-year student majoring in digital and print journalism and political science. To contact her, email ijc5186@psu.edu.
