Summer 2011 is comingl Have you planned for this summer? We all know that the importance of an internship is unprecedented. The experience from an internship helps differentiate oneself from the large body of students that enter the workforce after college. Building a network of contacts and relationships can also make finding a job more easily in the long run. So, why not starting searching for an internship today?

Gabriel Castro’12, Highland Lakes N.J.:
Last year, I worked at the ‘International Revenue Service’ in Washington D.C. I gained the position of Human Capital Office Intern through The Washington Center for Internship and Academic Seminar competitive government agency internship program. I was paid a stipend; my living arrangements in the heart of D.C were paid for and I also took a class for the summer. I worked with a team of interns and I.R.S employees in D.C and across the country for the summer. My advice for students who are looking for an internship is: check your e-mail and ask your professors! Talk to Dr. Darwin Kysor and the kind people at our Career Services Office.

Yinning Zhou’ 12 – international student from China:
I have an internship as an accountant in a Chinese company. I think an internship is very important for any undergraduate student. For students in business majors, it becomes critical because we really need experience to confidently step into the business world in the future. I found this internship when I was searching in some websites of job markets in China. I would recommend you to start this process as soon as possible.

Caroline Solomon ’13, Frederick, Md.:
This summer I am going to be interning at a mixed-breed animal hospital in Frederick, Md. I will be working some days in the hospital with small animals and other days, I will be going on farm calls with the veterinarian. I chose this internship because I wanted more experience with large animals and mixed breed practices. Not only does this look good on a transcript to vet school, but it will also allow me to evaluate if I would want to do large animal, small animal or mixed breed work once I am a vet. I would advise other students to be an advocate for themselves when trying to find an internship. It is something that you need to take the initiative to do and go out and look for.

Chelsea Little ’11, Boalsburg, Pa.:
The summer of 2010 I was an intern at the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch in Long Island, N.Y. At the ranch I was tutoring a group of adolescent delinquent males in reading and current events. This group was considered my work group, together we took on different tasks around the ranch. The work group was designed to assist the boys to learn time management, team bonding, and communication skills. Before I had the hands-on experience I was unsure of what I wanted to do out of school. After my summer at the ranch, I knew that I was ready to apply to graduate school to become a social worker.

-Thanh Nguyen’14, Juniata online journalist