Successful Summer Internships Lead Students Far Beyond

The Faculty Student Association (FSA) developed a paid summer internship program to help Stony Brook students gain work experience, develop their skills, make connections, build their resume and learn about a field that they may be interested in pursuing in the future. FSA began offering these internship opportunities in 2014. Paid internships are ideal for students who have to work to support themselves during college.

According to Urszula Zalewski, Director of Experiential Education at Stony Brook University’s Career Center, these valuable employment opportunities on campus help to prepare students for life after college. “College students are in a perfect environment to gain core competencies like communication, critical thinking and leadership. Experiences beyond the classroom further accelerate development and are instrumental to the success of every career ready Seawolf,” she said.

Internships serve as a way for students to explore different fields that may spark their interest toward a certain career path. “FSA is excited to offer students the opportunity to participate in the summer internship program to match them with a department in an area they are interested in, so they can obtain meaningful and practical work experience and build their resume,” explained Pat Murray, FSA Human Resources Manager.

This year’s 2018 summer interns were asked why they applied to the FSA internship program and what they hope to gain from it.

• Mechanical Engineering major William Zhu ‘21 transferred to Stony Brook last semester and found the FSA internship as a way to immerse himself in the campus community. As an intern in the Facilities Department he explained, “This internship has given me access to a lot of opportunities that I otherwise might not have. I have learned so much about the logistics and operations of a construction project and the specific steps needed for a project idea to go into the actual construction phase.” William landed a second internship through FSA as a Coca-Cola Campus Ambassador.
• Psychology and English double major Lazaro Rivera ‘20 said, “I applied to the FSA summer internship for a second time because I truly enjoyed being a Marketing and Communications intern last year. It is an awesome experience, and I work on projects that are truly important to me such as sustainability initiatives. As chair of the Undergraduate Student Government Sustainability Committee, this is a great opportunity to combine my involvement to make Stony Brook a greener campus. I have diversified my skills through a job that is multifaceted as I work on creating social media posts, research information for stories that we publish, improve my computer proficiency using Microsoft programs and Google Apps, explore public speaking opportunities by educating incoming students about all the services that the FSA provides such as meal plans and buying books, and I even had the opportunity to aid in the transition between food providers last summer.”
• Applied Math and Statistics major Torrin Faison ‘19 expressed, “I’ve learned a lot from this finance internship, such as how to better manage my finances, how to analyze trends within reports, how to communicate with higher management in a effective way, and how to be a better team player. These are skills I believe will benefit me when it comes to applying for full-time positions before I graduate.”
• Biochemistry and Sociology double major T’kheya Yisrael ‘19 added, “Being able to work with and learn from professionals in so many different areas across campus has helped me to feel more career-ready and confident in myself. I’ve been able to create a more welcoming environment for students at Stony Brook through collaborating with the Career Center to arm them with the tools to be more well-rounded professionals. I’ve helped them navigate college just a little bit better with information tables at summer orientations for first-year students. Coming back to the internship for a second year as a Marketing and Communications Intern, I feel better equipped to play a more active role in FSA’s events and operations and more poised to voice my own ideas and take initiatives on projects. I’ve been able to make real and lasting connections with people and cultivate a lot of transferable skills that I know will help me as I move forward in my own career. ”
• Economics major Darian Chen ‘20 said, “Working within the Human Resources Department for this internship has given me the opportunity to make more connections throughout West Campus, University Hospital and the Long Island State Veterans Home. I have enjoyed working on the conversion project from ADP to Ceridian.”

The Career Center at Stony Brook University also offers connections to many internship opportunities and provides students with options to empower them to make informed career choices. “At the Career Center, we are given the gift of interacting with students at an extremely pivotal time in their life. Not only does this include providing support in identifying internship opportunities and selecting the best fit, but also shaping who they are and will become as young professionals,” stated Zalewski.