{"id":713332,"date":"2026-08-18T08:44:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T12:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=713332"},"modified":"2026-08-18T08:44:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T12:44:30","slug":"inaugural-cohort-hire-rochester-paid-summer-internship-program-713332","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/inaugural-cohort-hire-rochester-paid-summer-internship-program-713332\/","title":{"rendered":"New paid internship program helps URochester students launch careers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>This summer\u2019s inaugural Hire Rochester undergraduates are building skills, confidence, and professional connections.<\/h2>\n<p>Landing an internship has never mattered more\u2014or been harder to do. Employers consistently rank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naceweb.org\/talent-acquisition\/candidate-selection\/internship-experience-often-the-deciding-factor-between-equal-candidates\">internship experience among the strongest predictors of hiring<\/a>, and students who complete internships often earn significantly higher starting salaries than their peers (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.naceweb.org\/talent-acquisition\/internships\/the-class-of-2023-inequity-continues-to-underpin-internship-participation-and-pay-status\/\">up to $20,000 higher<\/a>, in fact). Yet internship opportunities have become increasingly competitive nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\">University of Rochester<\/a> launched <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/channels\/urochester-internship-programs\/#hirerochesterscholar\">Hire Rochester<\/a>, a new paid summer internship initiative connecting undergraduates with career-building experiences made possible through alumni, community partners, and donor support.<\/p>\n<p>None of this surprises Jodyi Wren, director of the University\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/\">Gwen M. Greene Center for Career Education and Connections<\/a>, which provides students with career support and professional development opportunities and facilitates the Hire Rochester Summer Internship Program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInternships aren\u2019t just nice-to-have experiences anymore,\u201d she says. \u201cThey are critical and lead to greater professional opportunities for our graduates.\u201d Wren adds that more students than ever are applying for internships\u2014at the University and across the country\u2014yet <a href=\"https:\/\/joinhandshake.com\/themes\/handshake\/dist\/assets\/downloads\/network-trends\/Handshake-Internships-Index-2025.pdf\">internships and job postings are down significantly<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cInternships aren\u2019t just nice-to-have experiences anymore. They are critical.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This past academic year was no exception: Student demand for all internships, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/channels\/urochester-internship-programs\/\">University\u2019s four signature programs<\/a>\u2014Hire Rochester, <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/channels\/urochester-internship-programs\/#bondscholar\">Bond Scholar Program<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/channels\/urochester-internship-programs\/#schwartzscholar\">Schwartz Scholar Program<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/careereducation.rochester.edu\/channels\/urochester-internship-programs\/#ostrownewkirkscholar\">Ostrow\/Newkirk Scholar Program<\/a>\u2014far exceeded availability, as did applications for general student internship funding.<\/p>\n<p>Wren, who was a first-generation student without financial resources, could not afford an internship when she was in college. Like many students today, she understands that financial realities can stand in the way of career-building experiences. The need to cover living expenses while earning income keeps many students from pursuing internships that could shape their future careers. Through programs like Hire Rochester, Wren hopes all URochester students can access internship opportunities regardless of financial circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Meet the 2026 Hire Rochester Summer Interns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s what this summer\u2019s inaugural cohort of Hire Rochester Summer Interns learned on the job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This summer\u2019s inaugural Hire Rochester undergraduates are building skills, confidence, and professional connections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":922,"featured_media":713742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[42042,40762,43032,42112,18802,21422,43192,7066,42222,34502,18632,43182,16072,10406,42582,40512],"class_list":["post-713332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","tag-audio-arts-and-technology","tag-class-of-2027","tag-class-of-2028","tag-class-of-2029","tag-department-of-computer-science","tag-department-of-history","tag-department-of-politcal-science","tag-film-and-media-studies-program","tag-for-ever-better-campaign","tag-gwen-m-greene-center-for-career-education-and-connections","tag-hajim-school-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences","tag-politics-philosophy-and-economics-program","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-simon-business-school","tag-undergraduate-business-program","tag-undergraduate-program-in-digital-media-studies"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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