Summer internships have become an essential part of most students' college experiences—and that doesn't change even during a pandemic.

A good internship provides more than a line on a future resume. It's a way for students to discover what types of work their major has prepared them to do, to decide what kind of organization is a good fit for them, and to meet people who know what employers in their industry are looking for as students prepare for their first career search. 

Despite everything happening in the world, Knox College students are still finding and being selected for internships. The staff members in the Bastian Family Center for Career Success have been helping students find out about internship opportunities and assisting with other related tasks, such as writing resumes and preparing for interviews. The center also is congratulating students publicly on Instagram and Facebook. 

Among these students is Charles Broomfield '22, a computer science and integrative business & management double major who plans on a career in cybersecurity. He will intern with the Strategic Security Sciences Division of the Argonne National Laboratory.

Broomfield was referred to the national laboratories by peers. “A friend had interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory the summer prior and spoke highly of the culture and experience that national labs strive to offer. Rather than being crammed into work, I was told the national labs prioritize the learning experience and growth of the interns, all while helping them produce research of their own,” he said. “I applied to almost every national laboratory that performed cybersecurity research, and was lucky to land a position at Argonne.”  

“Rather than focus on specific tools, languages, or niche talents, Knox has done a great job of preparing me for the theoretical and big-picture foundation of computer science,” added Broomfield. “Knox prepared me for this internship by preparing me for everything.”

Some students who have received internships for summer 2020 are listed below.

Pictured above left to right: Sadie Cheney '21, Daniel Bien '22, Olivia Grierson '22, Gaeth Alalou '21

Class of 2023

• Rukhsora Orifova has secured a position as a journalism and marketing Intern with Hollywood Beauty Magazine

Class of 2022

• Daniel Bien got an internship with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in Illinois
• Charles Broomfield will intern at the Strategic Security Sciences Division of the Argonne National Laboratory 
• Olivia Grierson accepted a development internship offer with Special Olympics Colorado
• Shuchita Poddar has a virtual internship as a writer's game judge with Writer's Workout

Class of 2021

• Gaeth Alalou will be interning as a software engineer with Capital One in Washington, D.C.
• Sadie Cheney has started a summer internship with OutFront Magazine in Denver, Colorado
• Rose Martines will intern with Movement for Justice in El Barrio in New York City, New York
• Charles Mennerick is working as an IT intern for Carepaths in St. Louis, Missouri
• Corey McKnight accepted a summer internship with Game Day USA
• Hailey Nguyen will be a regulatory affairs CMC intern at AbbVie Inc. in North Chicago, Illinois
• Luis Mateo Liendo Patino is working with Chicago Literary Hall of Fame on a project initiated by late Knox Emeritus Professor of English Robin Metz
• Zeina Sbai will be interning in Amman, Jordan, at Islamic Hospital in the psychiatric clinic
• Hassan Suhaib is interning this summer with Upkey in Chicago, Illinois

Class of 2020

• Kira Carney accepted a junior editor internship with Kulture Hub 
• Riya Dahal secured a remote position with ReSource LEAP
• James Dinaso accepted a sports management internship at Camp Towanda in Honesdale, Pennsylvania
• Sanjana Sultana has accepted an internship with Unilever in Bangladesh

The Knox website features further information about internship opportunities for Knox students and recent graduates.