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Earlier this year, nine St. Olaf College students traveled to Norway to work with two medical startup companies. After they were briefed on their assignments — which focused on examining the feasibility of launching new health care products in American markets — they dove into their work. Four weeks later, they presented their reports to the company.

“I’ve never had so much autonomy in any other internship,” says Miriam Clapp ’24. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to build on my existing skill set in consulting in an international workplace.”

The experience was part of the Norway Innovation Scholars Program (NISP) supported by the Smaby Family Foundation, which fosters opportunities for students from a wide range of disciplines to collaborate and problem solve in a cross-cultural setting. “Innovation happens when a diverse group of students come together around a challenging and ambiguous project,” says Piper Center for Vocation and Career Director Kirsten Cahoon ’98.

This year’s NISP program included two teams of St. Olaf students, each working with a different company. The first team — Sarah Fleming ’24, Rara Istifadah ’24, Maheen Asim ’25, and Josh Sutherland ’24 — worked with Norway Health Tech. The second team — Savina Dock ’24, Casey McCloskey ’24, Eva Benson ’25, and Clapp — worked with Viking Arm Medical. 

“I’ve never had so much autonomy in any other internship. I really enjoyed the opportunity to build on my existing skill set in consulting in an international workplace.”

Miriam Clapp ’24

Daily tasks included market research, consulting, analyzing sales plans, and developing sales strategies. The program is intense, totalling 200-300 hours over the course of four weeks. Yet it provides students with hands-on experience and new perspectives on the healthcare tech field — and their future in it.

“My favorite part was knowing that the work I am involved with will have a positive impact, potentially improving healthcare delivery and outcomes through innovative tech solutions for communities,” Asim says.

Istifadah says she also appreciated the opportunity to learn what it’s like to work in another culture. “It was valuable to know different leadership styles and the culture/norms present in the workplace. It helps me understand Norwegian society in the values it holds,” she says.

NISP is supported on campus by Piper Center for Vocation and Career Associate Director Paul Edwards and the Biology Department, with Professor of Biology Kevin Crisp serving as the longtime faculty advisor. The program was created in 2014 to mirror the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program that the late John Meslow ’60 developed in 2006.

Throughout the month, the teams of four worked on creating a detailed report compiling their research on target markets and their proposed solutions to questions the companies they worked with had. Crisp guided their work, which included working closely with the CEO of the company.

“This experience allowed me to learn holistically about the industry and all of the different aspects that go into it, and how everyone in my group really made this possible by playing to their individual strengths,” Benson says.

McCloskey says he enjoyed working with a small team and found that when the team worked well together, they were very efficient. “This trip introduced me to what it would be like to do consulting work full time, and even though it was a grind, I really enjoyed it,” he says.

In their free time, students were able to explore the city, attend concerts, and peruse art museums. 

“We visited many cultural sites in Norway as a group, including Akershus Castle, the MUNCH Museum, and the Stav Viking Church. It was a really wonderful leadership and cultural experience,” teaching assistant Lily Bensen ’24 says.

In addition to exposure to Norwegian Culture, the program also offered opportunities to meet with Ole alums.

“I had the opportunity to play in a community orchestra rehearsal with a former Ole living in Oslo on a Fulbright fellowship,” says Clapp, who went on to earn a Fulbright award herself this spring.

All of these elements combined to make for an invaluable experience.

“I would do it all over again,” Istifadah says.