SUNY Oneonta

As part of the SUNY Washington Internship Program, SUNY Oneonta junior Brandon Cirincione, a Political Science and Economics dual major, is interning this semester in Washington, D.C. with Congressman Nick LaLota, who represents New York's 1st District. The work hits close to home for Cirincione, as he is a resident of Congressman LaLota's district. His days are spent gaining firsthand experience with the legislative process, constituent services and policy research. On Fridays, he joins fellow SUNY Washington interns for seminar classes, where they engage with speakers on a variety of topics and tour the city. Last Friday, the group got to visit the National Archives (home to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution) and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. In the coming weeks, they will also meet and get advice from SUNY Washington alumni who now work for congressmen, senators and more. Cirincione is a recipient of the university's James '75 and Mary Ajello Internship Fund, which encourages students to undertake internship opportunities by offsetting a variety of costs like housing, food, tuition and program fees, transportation and airfare, and by providing a living stipend. "This internship is a pivotal step in my academic and professional journey as it allows me to apply the knowledge and skills I've developed through my studies in a real-world setting," Cirincione said. "My long-term goal is to attend law school and pursue a career in public service, where I can continue to make a positive impact through policy and advocacy. This opportunity is not only enhancing my professional development but also reinforcing my passion for government and public policy."

SUNY Oneonta awarded nearly $22,000 in grant funding to support students pursuing internships during the fall 2024 semester. The grant program aims to make internship experiences more accessible by helping defray costs such as transportation, living expenses, technology, etc. Any student who plans to complete an internship for academic credit can apply for a grant of up to $3,000 through SUNY Oneonta's Career Planning and Networking Center, which also provides career counseling and helps students find and secure internships in their fields of study. SUNY Oneonta is committed to helping students pursue experiential learning opportunities to explore their field of interest while gaining experience to prepare them for life after graduation. Internships are one of many real-world learning opportunities students can secure through the university's Experiential Learning Center. In addition to providing financial support to students pursuing internships, SUNY Oneonta awards more than $100,000 annually in student grants for research and travel to professional conferences and has 23 different scholarships for students who study abroad or participate in faculty-led trips. As part of the Drive for 135 initiative, the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association and the Career Planning and Networking Center invite alumni to submit internship opportunities that will allow current and future students to gain critical real-world experiences. Through this initiative, SUNY Oneonta hopes alumni will help secure 135 new or recommitted internship opportunities for students. Alumni can support this initiative by offering internship opportunities within their organizations or networks. While we cannot guarantee student applications for every position, your contributions are vital to their success. Hosting organizations will have the responsibility of reviewing applications, conducting interviews and selecting interns from the pool of eligible students.

Two SUNY Oneonta students are interning independently with the Office of Sustainability during the 2024-25 academic year. Zoe Rex, a dual major in Business Administration and Fashion and Textiles, is the Office of Sustainability's social media intern. During the internship, Rex is creating the Office of Sustainability's Instagram posts, a social media guide for future interns and the office's monthly newsletter. Rex's internship is funded through the Office of Sustainability's temp service budget. Patrick Sullivan, a dual major in Environmental Sustainability and Geography, is a Citizens' Climate Lobby intern. Sullivan is working alongside one of the students in the Empire Service Corps program to start a chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby for higher education on campus while encouraging students to vote and consider climate change when choosing their elected leaders. Sullivan's internship is funded by a donation from alumnus Jean Lown '72. Both Rex and Sullivan will graduate in the fall 2024 semester but will continue their work into the spring semester. The Office of Sustainability typically has between four and six interns per semester. Internships are open to all students, from any major, eager about sustainability.

SUNY Oneonta awarded nearly $20,000 in grant funding to support students pursuing internships during the fall 2023 semester. The grant program aims to make internship experiences more accessible by helping to defray costs such as transportation, living expenses, technology and more. Any student who plans to complete an internship for academic credit can apply for a grant of up to $3,000 through SUNY Oneonta's Career Development Center, which also provides career counseling and helps students find and secure internships in their fields of study. SUNY Oneonta is committed to helping students pursue experiential learning opportunities to explore their field of interest while gaining experience to prepare them for life after graduation. Internships are one of many real-world learning opportunities students can secure through the university's Experiential Learning Center. In addition to providing financial support to students pursuing internships, SUNY Oneonta awards more than $100,000 annually in student grants for research and travel to professional conferences and has 23 different scholarships for students who study abroad or participate in faculty-led trips.

New applied learning programs at SUNY Oneonta give students real-world experience in board rooms and beyond, illustrating the university's emphasis on hands-on learning and commitment to community partnerships. This year, five Oneonta students within the School of Liberal Arts and Business worked with local nonprofit organizations as the third cohort of participants in the INTD 3997: Internship in Non-Profit Leadership Development program, guided by Associate Professor of Communication Studies Jacqueline Bishop. During their time with the nonprofits, students conducted research, attended board and committee meetings, and worked closely with leaders of the organizations. They gained skills in teamwork, communication, presentation, leadership, time management and more. Some even came away with portfolios to show to potential employers. "The value of internships and experiential learning cannot be overstated," said Eileen Morgan- Zayachek, Associate Provost for Academic Programs. "The American public has prioritized experiential learning, and SUNY Oneonta has really embraced this. Since opening our Experiential Learning Center in 2021, we've worked harder than ever to provide students with opportunities to test knowledge and skills and get their foot in the door. This is also part of our commitment to equity - we're creating opportunities for students who don't have built-in resources or contacts in their network." Each of the interns received a one-time $200 stipend from the Dewar Foundation.

Two SUNY Oneonta students had the chance to rock the vote on Election Day by working closely with the largest single-night virtual music festival in history. Thanks to their involvement with the Well Dunn Internship program, music industry majors Vershone "Zy" Bowser and Haru Yoshimatsu got to assist with iVoted 2020, a virtual music festival featuring Billie Eilish, Taking Back Sunday, Trey Anastasio of Phish, and more than 600 other artists. The goal of the festival, which ran from noon until 2 a.m., was to encourage voter turnout, and fans gained access to the links for the show(s) of their choice by sending a selfie at home with their mail-in ballot or, if voting in person, from outside their polling place. Through their experiences, Bowser and Yoshimatsu got an in-depth view of what goes into putting on a music festival, and a virtual one in particular. Every facet of the festival was organized using Slack and Zoom video conference calls, they said. "This is a wonderful example of how experiential learning opportunities are adapting to the virtual world," said SUNY Oneonta music lecturer Nancy Tarr. "The COVID-19 pandemic has forced everything online, including college and internships, and it's been an adjustment for students. But this goes to show that online opportunities can provide just as much of an inspiring learning experience as in-person."

Jared Ciccarelli has been named the 2019 SUNY Oneonta Intern of the Year, a new award sponsored by the Otsego County Chamber to recognize outstanding work by interns at local businesses and organizations.

For SUNY Oneonta music majors, the pandemic has sparked a rare learning opportunity. Sixteen students will cap their senior year with an internship in producing live stream performances.

One of SUNY Oneonta's CAMP/EOP students, Catherin Flores Granados, had the experience of a lifetime this summer interning with the Office of State and Grantee Relations in Washington, D.C. Catherin, a sophomore from Mountain Dale, NY, was one of six College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) students across the country selected to participate in the National HEP/CAMP Association Internship Program. During the eight-week paid internship, she worked with the director of the Office of Migrant Education and many other offices nearby in the Department of Education.

Yahayra (Yaya) Colon, a Criminal Justice at SUNY Oneonta, will be serving an internship with the Illinois State Police.

Emily Ahlqvist has been named the 2018 SUNY Oneonta Intern of the Year, a new award sponsored by the Otsego County Chamber to recognize outstanding work by interns at local businesses and organizations.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students completed internships and also received payment during the Spring 2018 semester, thanks to a number of Fellowships for Internship Support.

Three SUNY Oneonta students received funding totaling $5,700 to support summer internships through the Dewar Foundation Fund for Internship Support. The new fund, which will offer $12,500 to SUNY Oneonta students over the course of the year, helps make internship experiences more accessible. Permanent residents of Otsego County and contiguous counties who are interning for academic credit either in the United States or abroad are eligible to apply. Award preference goes to students who graduated from Oneonta High School.

Sixteen SUNY Oneonta students received funding totaling $21,800 through the Helen & Michael Casper Fellowship for Internship Support, which was created through the charitable gifts of Andrea Casper '75 in honor and memory of her parents. This year's fellowship recipients will complete summer internships in a variety of disciplines in locations ranging from Oneonta, NY, to Dublin, Ireland.

Kevin Zambrzycki has been named the 2016 SUNY Oneonta Intern of the Year, a new award sponsored by the Otsego County Chamber to recognize outstanding work by interns at local businesses and organizations.

Twenty-one SUNY Oneonta students received funding totaling $25,500 through the Helen & Michael Casper Fellowship for Internship Support, which was created through the charitable gifts of Andrea Casper '75 in honor and memory of her parents. This year's fellowship recipients will complete summer internships in a variety of disciplines in locations ranging from Oneonta, NY, to Cape Town, South Africa.

SUNY Oneonta junior Marvin Rodriguez is one of 13 SUNY students selected to participate in the first SUNY Brain Summer Scholars Program, part of the SUNY Brain Network of Excellence. Research conducted by students this summer will support President Obama's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, which aims to increase understanding of how the brain works in order to develop new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders.

SUNY Oneonta senior Nallely Ayala of Pine Plains, NY, is spending the spring semester in Barcelona, Spain, where she will complete an internship at the Study Centre for Peace J.M. Delas. Ayala, a dual major in International Studies and Spanish, is the first SUNY Oneonta student to pursue an internship through the college's new international internship program, which offers opportunities in 12 major cities around the world in partnership with the Academic Internship Council and Connect-123.