Lycoming College has selected 21 students to participate in the Williamsport Internship Summer Experience (WISE). Now in its second year, WISE gives Lycoming students the opportunity to participate in an internship within their area of academic interest in the local community.
“Students in the WISE program have the valuable opportunity to learn about their career of interest first-hand from local businesses and organizations,” said Kristin Laudenslager, career coordinator at Lycoming College.
The WISE Committee works to form partnerships with local businesses and organizations so they can match each student with an internship in their area of interest. Together, the college, student and business partner create specific learning objectives for the student to maximize their experience and takeaways. In order to enhance the learning aspect of the internship experience, students in the internship program also meet weekly for a professional development seminar.
“During the professional development seminar, students set learning objectives, reflect on their experience, and learn the importance of soft or ‘employability’ skills, which are highly valued by today’s employers,” said Anne Landon, internship coordinator and assistant director of Institute for Management studies at Lycoming College.
Having the internship experience and the professional development seminar together gives students the opportunity to discuss the real world application of skills they have learned in the classroom.
“Students reflect on how their liberal arts education has empowered them to think critically, communicate clearly, demonstrate complex problem solving, but more importantly, how these skills can be applied in a real-world setting, while gaining exposure to a specific industry,” said MaryJo Campana, director of career services.
Zackary Collevechio, a rising senior with majors in actuarial science and mathematics from Summit Hill, Pa., is interning with Henry Dunn Insurance through the WISE program.
“The WISE program has provided me with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and insight to my career,” said Collevechio.
Along with Collevechio, the following students are interning with businesses and organizations in the community:
• Rising seniors: Jack Abbate, a history major from Andover, N.J., with the Thomas T. Taber Museum; Oluwatosin Fayinminu, a sociology and anthropology major from Nigeria, with the Lycoming County Celebrates the Arts Alliance; Nicholas Neverman, a business marketing major from Mechanicsburg, Pa., with Susquehanna Health; Hoang Nguyen, an economics and psychology major from Vietnam, with the Uptown Music Collective; Emily Rupe, a photography major from Wrightsville, Pa., with the Community Dark Room; Joshua Thomas, a physics major from Fort Wayne, Ind., with L-3 Communications; Georgiana White, a French and creative writing major from Williamsport, Pa., with RegScan; Paul Ferrante, a corporate communications major from Glen Cove, N.Y., with the Sunflower Cafe & Bakery; Hieu Tran, an accounting and business finance major from Vietnam, with the American Rescue Workers; Emily Hiller, an actuarial science and mathematics major from Allenwood, Pa., with Hudock Capital Group, LLC; Robert Hodes, a biology major from Gilbertsville, Pa., with the Susquehanna Community Health and Dental Center; Shannon Lafferty, a business finance major from Langhorne, Pa., with the Wayne Township Landfill; Bryan McGinnis, a painting major from Levittown, Pa., with the Centered Earth Clay Arts Studio & Gallery; Huy Pham, an accounting and business finance major from Vietnam, with Larson Design Group;
• Rising juniors: Alfonce Mutuku, a criminal justice major from Hyattsville, Md., with the Lycoming County Department of Children and Youth; Hannah Davy, a French and Spanish major from Lock Haven, Pa., with the Lycoming County Department of Children and Youth; Victoria Wilson, a biology major from Ringwood, N.J., with Susquehanna Health; Le Dieu Linh Nguyen, an economics major from Vietnam, with the American Rescue Workers;
• Rising sophomores: Kelly Ambruso, a chemistry major from Stewartsville, N.J., with the Williamsport Sanitary Authority; and Chau Dang, of Vietnam, with Moff & Associates.
Businesses interested in hosting a Lycoming College student intern should fill out the program registration form on the WISE Web page. Businesses are welcome to submit a registration form year-round.