“Elite few” First-Year Interns gather with alumni mentors for end-of-year reception

Thirty-nine students volunteered more than 1,900 hours in offices around campus during the spring 2017 semester through the First-Year Internship Program, which creates opportunities for students to work and develop relationships with SUNY New Paltz employees who are also alumni.

The program celebrated its highest participation rate yet at a May 11 reception, as students and mentors took a moment during the busiest time of the academic year to reflect on what they’ve accomplished, and what they have to look forward to.

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“I want to congratulate all of our students who had the courage and confidence to seize this opportunity,” said President Donald P. Christian. “I also want to thank all the faculty and staff who have mentored our students. We know that applied learning experiences, where students can take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it in a different setting, are really important in intellectual development. They’re also one of the most significant things employers are looking for when they meet with recent college graduates.”

First-Year Internship Program positions are neither paid nor for-credit, but they confer valuable professional development and allow students to develop lasting relationships with mentors.

In some cases, these relationships quite literally pay off: many of the students who give their time as First-Year Interns are hired to return to the offices they worked in paid student assistant positions.

“We especially want to thank the students for doing this, because of course it is a volunteer program,” said Service Learning Coordinator Erica Wagner. “The participants don’t receive payment or college credit for their work; rather, it is a way for them to give back to the College, while also gaining mentorship and making connections with campus professionals and alumni who can help guide them through their years at New Paltz.”

“You’re an elite few who took on the challenge of doing an internship during your first year at college,” added Internship Coordinator Beth King.

The First-Year Internship Program will look to continue its upward trajectory when it returns next spring. Employee alumni who are not currently participating in the program are invited to contact the Career Resource Center to learn about how to get involved.