What is every college student expected to do before they graduate? One would normally answer ‘make Dean’s List’ or ‘set a school record’ or even ‘leave a new club as my legacy on campus’. However, none of these are expected of students. Every college student is expected to have had at least one internship experience before they reach graduation. Why? It shows initiative.
The Office of Alumni Relations and Development is a tight-knit and essential office on Spring Hill’s campus. The office’s Vice President, Mary McDonald, and other faculty members have gone to a week-long Case Conference in Orlando, Florida. This office handles a majority of the scholarships that students on and off-campus are receiving, alumni activity and philanthropy events for Spring Hill College.
Recently, this department granted student interns the opportunity to be a part of the Case Conference. This year, the Case Conference was based on a D3 concept: data, design and diversity. It is a networking opportunity to connect colleges from all over the United States. Junior, Daja Thomas is the only undergraduate that was at the conference from Spring Hill College who earned the Delegate Scholarship, granting her the opportunity to attend. “The main focus is advancement, but as a college student, this has been beneficial to me because they were really impressed with the knowledge and experience I have as an undergrad. And some even want to offer me jobs once I graduate, so they took my information so that they can keep up with me,” said Daja.
The goal of the conference is to network with other institutions and businesses to see what it is they are doing in the advancement field that is making them successful. Then, faculty and interns will take what they have learned and try to incorporate it into our institution. There were billion-dollar industries that were there speaking while also providing recruitment opportunities for future careers.
“I believe internships are an important part of the college experience. Having an internship allows for experiential learning, which can broaden a student's worldview. They allow a student to put what they have learned in the classroom into action while gaining real-world experience,” said Mary McDonald. The vice president went on to say, “I also recommend networking if you have not interned. Meeting people in your desired field can help you have a foot in the door when you are on the job hunt.”
The conference was a great success and much was learned from all those who attended. If you’re a Spring Hill College student looking for an internship, contact Jermey Moore, Director of Career Development. “I don’t think all programs require it, I mean that could be beneficial, although if you’re in something like Pre-Health, you’re getting job shadowing hours. Those are not necessarily an internship, but it’s practical experience,” said Moore. “You cannot graduate from an Education or a Nursing program without practical experience. Communication Arts has a requirement that students complete an internship in order to graduate and that really gives you an advantage. Statistically, time to employment is quicker, and then salaries tend to be higher for those who completed internships.”
There is another way for students to get interactive with internship opportunities on an app called, “Hand Shake”. Moore mentioned, “This is the number one tool for entry-level jobs and internships.” This app allows students to connect with all Fortune 500 companies as well as local employers. If you haven’t already, download the app to start networking.