Funds put student internships more within reach

Twelve distinct Reach for Rochester Internship Funds, each with specific requirements, are available thanks to gifts from University friends and alumni. These endowed funds produce more than $70,000 annually to support varied internship options. As a result, formerly low-paid or unpaid internships are now financially as well as experientially profitable.

Many of the internships made possible through Reach Funds this year fell within community service and not-for-profit agencies in Rochester as well as in major metropolitan areas, including New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago. Students obtained funding for positions within academe, research groups, health services, law, business, and communication settings.

Noah Lapidus, a senior psychology major interested in higher education administration, spent his internship at the University Health Service's health education and communication unit. Lapidus found out about Advantage Scholars, one of the many Reach Funds, through an informational meeting in his residence hall. This session inspired him to create his own internship and successfully apply for funds.

To Lapidus, internships like the one that was funded by the Reach Funds are "hands-on experiences for students to learn to make connections from academics to practical realities and who learn about how to effectively find internships and, ultimately, post-graduation opportunities."

Reach Funds represent a new twist on a longstanding University commitment to supporting its undergraduates seeking to create career exploration and skill-building internship opportunities. Under this revised approach, students seek internships that appeal to their career interests, obtain offers from prospective employers, and then apply for appropriate funds through the Career Center.

Thus, by responding to more than 1,000 postings accessed through a user-friendly and sophisticated Web-driven database and by creating their own opportunities, students gain enhanced resume writing, employer communication, and interview skills prior to getting meaningful internships. Many students created their own internships by communicating with faculty, networking with alumni, or through assertive and creative contacts with varied organizations.

Burton Nadler, assistant dean and director of the Career Center, described Reach for Rochester as "one of the first offerings of its kind in the nation, yet one which we will continue to improve in order to empower students to identify, seek, and complete meaningful internships."

In all, approximately 50 students benefited from these special funds. For most, internships wouldn't have been possible without the dollars provided.

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