At St. Olaf, our advisors and career coaches connect students to a menu of 5,000+ internships, undergraduate research experiences, and other hands-on opportunities at a breadth of organizations ranging from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies, often with the support of the Piper Center for Vocation and Career.
Below, current St. Olaf students share where their internships and research experiences are taking them. Are you an Ole with an experience of your own to share? Tell us about it here!
Andrew
Mazariegos-Ovalle
Summer Intern
Ryan Learning Center at the Art Institute of Chicago
“I am interested in the power of studio art to connect audiences, especially youth, with important topics such as climate change.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I applied through the website and got selected for a group interview. I was then later notified that I was offered the internship.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I am interested in the power of studio art to connect audiences, especially youth, with important topics such as climate change. Through this opportunity, I will develop tools and teaching practices that I can use in the future. I can learn the necessary skills to start my own organization for promoting accessibility to the arts and providing resources to neighborhoods that lack an influence of art.
Corrin
Gillespie
Pre-Physical Therapy Intern
Avera
Sioux Falls
“I spend most of my time in pediatric therapy or inpatient rehab but also get to bounce around to other departments which has really allowed me to see how expansive the PT career can be.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
When I knew I wanted to go into physical therapy as a career I looked into local opportunities at hospitals in my hometown, Sioux Falls, through their websites. I found this opportunity and kept it on my radar for a while until I was far along enough in undergrad to apply!
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
With a degree in Kinesiology, I hope to receive my doctorate in physical therapy and practice PT as a career. This internship is helping me work towards that goal by giving me the opportunity to get more clinical hours and diversify my knowledge about the field. I spend most of my time in pediatric therapy or inpatient rehab but also get to bounce around to other departments which has really allowed me to see how expansive the PT career can be. More so every day at the hospital makes me more confident that PT is the perfect career for me.
Bella
Marek
Artist Planning Intern
Kennedy Center
Washington D.C.
“I am interested in connecting Arts Administration and Music Education to help create a stronger future for the arts.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
Earlier in the school year, I was looking for an internship opportunity that would allow me to work with an orchestra and get arts administration experience. I eventually found that the Kennedy Center had an internship program and two positions that worked directly with the National Symphony Orchestra! I sent in an application and interviewed for the position and found out later that I had been selected as the Artistic Planning Intern for the summer!
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I am interested in connecting Arts Administration and Music Education to help create a stronger future for the arts. Getting this hands-on experience allows me to see the ins and outs of what it takes to run an orchestra up close.
Mandie
Flint
Mammal Nursery Intern
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota
“I’m getting hands-on experience with meeting every patient’s needs in the world’s busiest animal hospital.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
Networking with fellow Oles! I have brought many animals to WRC in the past, but I had no idea they offered internships. WRC offers internships with turtles, songbirds, and mammals, so there’s something for anyone interested in returning animals to the wild! I’m working in the Mammal Nursery and I absolutely love it!
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I want to be a wildlife conservationist for endangered species (especially elephants) in Sub-Saharan Africa through reintegration work and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. WRC’s mission is to rehabilitate any patients that come into their care, no matter the situation. I’m getting hands-on experience with meeting every patient’s needs in the world’s busiest animal hospital (17,000+ patients admitted every year). I’ve observed how animals end up at WRC, and I hope to use this knowledge in my career to raise questions about human interactions with wildlife.
Hannah
Swanson
Mammal Nursery Intern
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota
“This internship allows me to gain valuable medical skills and experience working with wildlife in a rehabilitative capacity.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I heard about it from a veterinarian I shadow in Northfield when asking about opportunities for hands-on experience in the Twin Cities. I then applied online and had an interview before being accepted as a summer intern.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I am on the pre-vet track at St. Olaf, interested in pursuing a career in conservation medicine! This internship allows me to gain valuable medical skills and experience working with wildlife in a rehabilitative capacity.
Sarah
Tondini
Naturalist Center Intern
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
“I have always loved getting to share what I’ve learned, particularly in regard to biology.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I had been interested in getting experience at natural science museums since I visited some while studying abroad. I researched some of the best ones in the United States and found the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science! There were many sections of the museum looking for interns, but the one that struck me the most was the Naturalist Center where people could get hands on experience with specimens. It was a dream internship, and I knew I just had to apply!
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I have always loved getting to share what I’ve learned, particularly in regard to biology, with my friends and family. Nothing matches the feeling of knowing that people are interested in what I’m sharing with them and want to know more. There’s no better place to get that feeling than a museum! You get to share your passions and interests with people from all walks of life. A place like the Naturalist Center provides an opportunity for people to learn about nature without a glass barrier, which I think is essential for truly getting to experience what nature provides. I want my career to be one that allows me to share knowledge with all kinds of people, and getting to intern at this amazing museum is a great step in that direction.
Alejandro
Ashby
Permanent Mission of Barbados Intern
United Nations in Manhattan, New York
“This opportunity has provided me with a greater understanding of how international systems and international law function.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I reached out to the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations and discovered they annually offer internship positions. Once I understood the selection criteria, I believed I was a viable candidate based on my major and extracurricular activities. I submitted my application and successfully completed a five week internship in the summer of 2022. At the end, they invited me to apply again for the following year if I desired. I thoroughly enjoyed my first internship there, so I did.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I am majoring in political science with concentrations in international relations and data science. The United Nations as a multilateral, intergovernmental organization is a living, breathing instrument for international relations. This opportunity allows me to contextualize my studies. Moreover, it has provided me with a greater understanding of how international systems and international law function. This will be applicable knowledge for any career I pursue in the political space as the world is continually globalizing.
Erich
Dvorak
Chemical Research Intern
Fluorescence Innovations Inc.
“After I got my NR-EMT license through Northfield Hospital and Clinics, it opened me up to the big world of healthcare and led me to want to study pre-medicine.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I met a St. Olaf alum who is doing research with Nivolumab, a cancer therapy drug, with the CEO of Fluorescence Innovations in Minneapolis. They had offered me to work with them over the summer, so I gladly took them up on their offer.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
After I got my NR-EMT license through Northfield Hospital and Clinics, it opened me up the big world of healthcare and led me to want to study pre-medicine. This internship is showing me how research is done at the chemical and microscopic level to better understand how drugs and therapies are created to help sick people feel better in a clinical setting. Additionally, this experience compliments my chemistry and mathematics degrees by doing both research with drug therapies in the lab as well as running the data through mathematical analyses to showcase to the rest of my team.
Ethan ‘Ziza’
Nshakira
Media Genome Analyst Intern and Associate Film and Media Podcaster
Katch University and The Creative Process Podcasts
“I really want to create an online presence and personal brand in the Film Criticism/Journalism Space.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I found The Creative Process on Handshake and found Katch Entertainment Media on LinkedIn. I knew I wanted two different part time internships to maximize my time during the Summer, so I spread my search across a variety of platforms.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I really want to create an online presence and personal brand in the Film Criticism/Journalism Space. My work with the Creative Process is giving me the skills necessary to eventually record and edit my own podcasts, something that will be integral as I start up my own online presence and possibly work with any online magazines or publications. As a Media Genome Analyst for Katch, I have to codify movies according to hundreds of subcategories across plot, characters, and even direction. As such, it gives me brand new paradigms via which to understand, analyze, and categorize films.
Thanuja
Ramesh
Homicide Research Intern
Center for Homicide Research
“… to investigate the psychological factors that contribute to homicidal acts, such as personality traits, cognitive biases, or socialization experiences it allows me to use my psychology background and coursework.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
This internship was an opportunity I found while cruising the web for a summer internship. As a psychology major I wanted to do something that was non-traditional. Knowing that I have an interest in forensics and true crime, I was thrilled when I saw this internship online through one of the American Psychological Association (APA) internship databases. I reached out to the Center for Homicide Research and they offered me an interview. At the end of the interview, the senior researcher asked if I wanted the position, and I said “Yes!” So now I am a homicide researcher for the summer at the Center for Homicide Research in Minneapolis.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
This internship connects to my career path because I aim to go to graduate school for forensic psychology and be able to understand not just homicide but the workings of the U.S. criminal justice system as well. The internship provides me with those opportunities and the first step in gaining insight into how things work in the U.S. as well as how research is conducted, which is most necessary for graduate school. It also connects to my major because understanding the causes, patterns, and consequences of homicide requires a solid knowledge of psychological theories, methods, and concepts. By using various psychological research methods, including surveys, experiments, and case studies, to investigate the psychological factors that contribute to homicidal acts, such as personality traits, cognitive biases, or socialization experiences it allows me to use my psychology background and coursework.
Jessenia
Prado
Intern
Art Institute of Chicago
“As a Chicagoan, I love talking about the city’s diverse neighborhoods with people, especially through art and activities.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I interned at the Art Institute of Chicago in high school and always looked forward to working there again as a college student. When I gave my first tour as a high-schooler, I felt empowered as an educator to explore identities through people and art.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I am interested in museum education and tourism, specifically creating accessible ways for underprivileged communities to enjoy Chicago’s attractions, museums, and cultural institutions. As a Chicagoan, I love talking about the city’s diverse neighborhoods with people, especially through art and activities. I would love to continue this passion for Chicago and art in my future as a gallery owner in my neighborhood, South Chicago, where there is limited opportunity to showcase art and meet fellow artists.
Lily
Bensen
Rockswold Scholar
Hennepin County Medical Center
“This program has provided me with shadowing experiences in many different departments which helps me explore which fields of medicine most interest me.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I first came across the Rockswold Scholars Program when searching through the St. Olaf pre-med web page for interesting summer opportunities during my freshman year. As someone who does not have any healthcare staff in their family, it was very important to me to find an experience through St. Olaf that would provide me with knowledge of the medical realm. After reading the description, I knew that it would be perfect for me! I made sure to build my resume with activities that showed my passion for medicine throughout my first two years of school, and I applied for the internship during my junior year. I was very fortunate to get the internship after submitting the application and going through an interview process.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I have known for years that I want to become a physician, but it has been very difficult to obtain shadowing experiences after the pandemic. I was also raised in a sheltered suburban community, so I was hoping to find an opportunity that would open up my worldview to better understand the perspectives of future patients. The Rockswold Scholars Program fits these goals perfectly. This program has provided me with shadowing experiences in many different departments which helps me explore which fields of medicine most interest me. Additionally, the community violence prevention and outreach program I work with has allowed me to help people with diverse life experiences, making me more adept at patient interaction. The research experience has also been wonderful since I want to incorporate clinical research into my career.
Ivy
Castillo
Rockswold Scholar
Hennepin County Medical Center
“… the Rockswold Scholars program offered an amazing opportunity for me to understand what it means to practice medicine and serve a diverse community of patients from all walks of life.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
I came across the Rockswold Scholars opportunity through the Piper Center website, which had a list of summer internships for Pre-Med students. From there, I applied and went through the interview process.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
From the time I came to St. Olaf, I had an interest in the medical field, and the Rockswold Scholars program offered an amazing opportunity for me to understand what it means to practice medicine and serve a diverse community of patients from all walks of life.
Grace
Henrich
Songbird Nursery Intern
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
“… this experience has equipped me with the necessary tools to communicate science with greater confidence.”
How did you get this internship or research opportunity?
While working in the Biology department as an animal care technician, I was introduced to Professor Lee’s research project. I found this opportunity to explore which field would suit me best. Professor Lee is a fantastic instructor who has supported me from the beginning. I began volunteering in the Lee lab during the interim period and continued until the spring of 2023. Afterward, I decided to apply for this specific research project through the CURI Program.
How does this connect with the career path you're interested in?
I find the neurophysiology of animal communication and the evolutionary relationship fascinating areas to begin my research in neuroscience. My goal is to attend graduate school and specialize in neurocognitive communication. I am still exploring at this stage, but the more I delve into this research project, the more impressed I am by the scientific work we are conducting.
As a rising sophomore, my supervisor and team members help me determine which courses would be beneficial to take and offer tips on navigating any issues we encounter in the lab. I have gained valuable skills in data analysis through this opportunity. Additionally, this experience has equipped me with the necessary tools to communicate science with greater confidence
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