A world of experience
Student Experience
From Boston to South Africa, Lima to Virginia, 551 students had university-funded summer internships and faculty-mentored research opportunities through the University of Richmond Summer Fellowships program this year. This is roughly a 13% increase from last year, said Brendan Halligan, senior associate director of Experiential Learning & Assessment.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen growth in internship opportunities in most industries and with a broad scope, from teaching English in Indonesia to working with the WNBA’s Dallas Wings and the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Halligan.
The internships provided many of the students with clarity about their chosen fields of study and played a significant role in shaping their future career plans. These internship opportunities also help to build students’ skills and offer networking opportunities and real-world experience.
“They are increasingly important in a competitive job market,” said Halligan.
Laeticia Tamufor, a junior majoring in health studies and minoring in computer science and data science, wanted to study abroad and focus on public health and HIV. She accepted an internship in Cape Town with Mosaic, a non-governmental organization focused on preventing and responding to domestic violence and abuse.
“My experience was a 10 out of 10! It solidified my desire to work in the NGO space,” Tamufor said. “I am passionate that one day I will found an NGO that focuses on women’s health and reproductive health in Cameroon, where I’m from.”
She spent two months working on a research project looking at the stigma around HIV treatments in the local community. Tamufor conducted surveys, analyzed data, and attended support groups for survivors of domestic violence.
“I interviewed people about what they knew and understood about HIV treatment and prevention,” she said. “I surprised myself that I could take the lead on a research project.”
Maya Hampton VanSant, a junior leadership studies major, had a revelation during her stint interning in the Boston U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“I was interested in criminal defense, but I fell in love with the prosecution side, and now I’m pursuing that,” said Hampton VanSant.
She was assigned to a narcotics and money laundering unit, where she completed paralegal support work, interacted with the police department, contacted FBI agents to get reports, and transcribed wiretaps.
During her first week, Hampton VanSant went home and cried after days of sitting in court, where she witnessed five trials daily and listened to heart-breaking stories. By week four, she’d learned legalese and how to navigate that world better. Tears were no longer a part of her experience, but there were other challenges.
Hampton VanSant worked in a highly competitive environment alongside interns from various Ivy League law schools, who were further along in their studies and weren’t shy about showing off their knowledge. She focused on developing relationships with the paralegals and lawyers, who quickly answered her questions and offered assistance.
“The internship laid the groundwork for my future, and I made connections with lawyers who offered to help me when I decide to apply for law school.
The City of Fairfax Theatre Company loved Ben Cudmore’s puppetry work so much that they reached out to him and offered him a summer internship. The senior, a Richmond Scholar of the Arts majoring in theatre honors, interned with the community-based performing arts center in Fairfax, Virginia.
He created two puppets for the play Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, scheduled to debut this December – one handheld and the other to be worn and attached through a drum harness.
“The size of the wearable puppet and the different mechanisms I incorporated to make it able to walk, pick up items, and swallow took a lot of experimenting and time to complete,” said Cudmore. “I was absorbed, creating these creatures from scratch.”
Cudmore was so inspired that he plans to start a business where he'll make and sell puppets and props.
Megan Montoya, a senior majoring in global studies and geography, was immersed in real-world research during her internship with the geographic information systems (GIS) department of Conservacion Amazonica-ACCA in Lima, Peru. She spent eight weeks primarily collaborating on a report that examined recent cases of Indigenous and environmental leader deaths in the Peruvian Amazon.
“This report serves as a call to action to improve the country’s response and prioritization of environmental justice issues in this culturally and ecologically rich region,” Montoya said.
Besides expanding her Spanish-language vocabulary and learning more about geography, she got a first-hand look at how an NGO operates and differs from academia.
“It was good for me to get the experience of working under leadership other than professors,” Montoya said.
After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in GIS or conservation, although she hasn’t determined which area will be her focus.
While Montoya says the internship was important in building her portfolio, her free time abroad was also amazing.
“I hiked, explored Lima, ate incredible food, and went to Machu Picchu.”