InternEXP at Virginia Tech

Internships can be an integral part of a college student’s career goals. Chances are if you speak with a college student they will tell you they are currently working on an internship or are trying to find one. 

 

Virginia Tech offers a new program called InternEXP. This program offers students a way to find on campus internships and a way for employers or faculty members to find interns. Participants also enroll in a class during their internship term to write and reflect on how their internship is beneficial to them. 

 

According to the College of St. Scholastica, internships are important because they can help students establish critical networking connections. 

 

Julia Ward, the Assistant Director of Professional Development and Experiential Programs, is one of the many faces behind InternEXP. Since this is the first semester InternEXP has been implemented, she plans to collect feedback from the interns to better the program each semester. 

 

“What the internship does is it builds in reflection time, and so reflection is a high impact practice and it can really help students think more deeply about what they are learning and make connections between what their learning on the job, as well as in the classroom,” said Chelsea Lyles, the Associate Director of Broader Impacts at The Center for Educational Networks and Impacts. Sarah Howell, a Virginia Tech senior, participates in an InternEXP internship with Dr. Lyles. 

 

InternEXP is just a start to helping students prepare for careers after college. It could help students who are unable to obtain an internship out of school for various reasons, obtain an internship while in school and while it is relevant.