Internship Expo | Photo by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
On Tuesday, March 26, the College of Liberal Arts hosted its fifth annual Internship Partners Expo. Students spoke to representatives at various booths and enjoyed free pizza and refreshments.
The importance of internships
From 2 to 5 p.m., students came to the Millett Hall Atrium to connect with the 32 registered internship partners.
Some of the internship partners at the event included WACO Historical Society, Clothes That Work, Culture Works, Dana Wiley Gallery, Dayton History and WDTN-TV/WBDT-TV.
Wayne Stark, COLA director of workforce development, explained the benefits of internships.
“Internships build experience, and they help hone a lot of the skills you’re learning about in the classroom. You can meet different people that may help you down the road,” Stark commented.
According to Stark, internships serve various purposes, like honing skills, providing a full-time job or even helping students get into graduate school. For students worried about financing an internship, specifically an unpaid one, Stark mentioned COLA internship scholarships.
“One thing that’s great about the College of Liberal Arts is I have internship scholarship money available,” Stark said. “We get a student who’s interested, I connect with faculty, and we put in the paperwork to help them to get that scholarship.”
Internships are important, and Wright State University has resources such as these to make them more accessible. Students can reach out to COLA representatives or Career Services to get started on their internship journey.
From an employer
One of the 32 registered internship partners is Wright State Student Legal Services. They work especially with aspiring lawyers and students who are interested in law.
Stephanie Allen, the managing attorney, spoke about one of the opportunities that legal services offered last year: the summer law practicum. According to Allen, students took a six-week course and received a certificate at the end.
Allen said that about 35 students participated in the 2023 program, and the expo helped connect students with this opportunity. WSU Legal Services also offers job shadowing.
Partaking in internship opportunities can help students find new options and create a network of potential employers, such as Student Legal Services.
A student’s perspective
Sophomore Janaya Render explained that her favorite part of the expo was “connecting with people that [she] wouldn’t typically connect with in the college environment.” She saw diverse businesses and roles that she did not expect.
“We don’t have a lot of time getting out to other businesses,” Render said. “So being here and having them come into my space is a great thing.”
With its accessibility, the expo received a hefty number of participants. Students came throughout the afternoon to chat with potential employers and build a network that will serve them in post-college life and beyond.
