A summer of career experience
St. Olaf College advisors and career coaches connect students to a menu of more than 5,000 internships, undergraduate research experiences, and other hands-on opportunities at a breadth of organizations ranging from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies. More than 90 percent of Oles participate in internships, research, and other opportunities to prepare for their future — with robust support from the Piper Center for Vocation and Career. As part of a new series, we’re sharing reflections from Oles on their summer internship and research experiences.
For St. Olaf College students, summer internships offer a chance to take what they’ve learned on the Hill and put it into practice — while discovering new interests, building professional skills, and exploring where their education might lead.
This summer, Oles pursued opportunities across a wide range of fields and locations, gaining hands-on experience in everything from research and business to the arts, health care, and public service. We asked students to share a glimpse into where their internships took them, what they worked on, and what they learned along the way.
“I chose this experience to get an insight into what a career in public service might look like. I wanted to expand outside what I knew well and tackle a new problem. I wanted to have the opportunity to use my research skills to create something designed to have lasting impacts in whatever area I was needed.”
— Macy Larson ’28, reflecting on her research internship at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.
“I wanted an introduction to the workforce and research outside of St. Olaf. Quality Control was a field I was unfamiliar with but wanted to learn more about. Through this internship, I gained the confidence and skills to work independently in a laboratory setting.”
— Brady Teegarden ’27 (second from left) reflecting on his Quality Control Internship in Rochester, MN.
“The most impactful part of this experience was seeing how mission-driven work can lead to tangible change in the community. Hack the Gap was in charge of running a hackathon for Medtronic interns, and being involved in projects that required both strategic thinking and creativity helped me understand the importance of innovation in the nonprofit space. […] Overall, this experience strengthened my confidence in my ability to lead, adapt, and contribute to a meaningful impact.”
— Mikayla Franke ’27 (second from left) reflecting on her experience at the Hack the Gap Program and as a Project Innovation Intern in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“I wanted to make an impact in the community while exploring a legal career. This experience allowed me to see areas in the community that need attention and taught me how to find solutions to these challenges. It also gave me greater clarity about the areas of the legal profession that I am interested in and gave me insight into how I can pursue that path.”
— Princess Olumba ’27 (right) reflecting on her Svoboda Legal Scholars Program experience in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Although I am a chemistry major with plans to attend medical school, I am also highly motivated by scientific exploration. Here at the Murakami Lab, I’ve learned more about the ways in which research and medical practice are intertwined. I’ve had the opportunity to shadow a number of Medical Oncologists, all of whom practice in the clinic while being highly involved in research and clinical trials. This experience has motivated me to continue pursuing a career that satisfies both my medical and scientific interests.”
— Emma Krienke ’28 reflecting on her Murakami Lab Research Internship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.