Muhlenberg Career Center brings back internship scholarship

Internships are a vital part of the Career Center’s efforts to help students obtain experience in a given field, but its staff members also acknowledge that it can be difficult for students to gain this experience while also maintaining affordable living conditions. In recognition of the issue, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, Jessica Deemer ‘21, and Director of Employer & Alumni Relations Chiquita Griffin are again launching the annual scholarship with the goal of supporting students with funding for internships. The Alumni Board Career Scholarship aids students financially as they engage in internship experience that will be integral for their future professions. The scholarship offers stipends to Muhlenberg students completing low-paid or unpaid internships for Summer 2023, ensuring that students will have enough financial assistance to pay any costs related to the internship. 

“Internships are a core part of career development. They allow for students to start learning industry specific skills and take learning outside of the classroom. This biggest obstacle to completing an internship, however, is that not all experiences are paid,” says Deemer and Griffin. They further explain the necessity of this scholarship, saying “Working without compensation is a privilege that not everyone can take; we need to gain hands-on experience while also being able to keep up with the costs of living. This scholarship was developed to help support students with the financial expenses associated with completing a non-paid or low paid internship. This scholarship benefits students by giving them the ability to choose an internship based on their interests while having the financial assistance to help with the costs of carrying out the internship experience.”

 “Internships are a core part of career development.”

Jessica Deemer ’21 and Chiquita Griffin

This annual scholarship is a collaborative effort between The Career Center and the Alumni Board. As the new project managers of the scholarship, Deemer and Griffin met with members of the Alumni Board last December to plan out the timeline for this semester and to create the application on Handshake, making it accessible for Muhlenberg students. They note that, “Our Alumni Board is just as passionate about the scholarship as us; we both want to ensure we are utilizing our resources to help support students in their career exploration and increase the accessibility of internships.”

“That seems like a really nice thing to have, especially for college students. It’s an internship opportunity so it’s obviously going to help and be beneficial, and I think that’s a really nice thing to have as an offer,” says Amanda Heckman ‘25 on the scholarship. Elena Cataloni ‘25 adds on, saying “With everything that financially happened with Covid, it’s great and provides opportunities that may not always be there. 

“Working without compensation is a privilege that not everyone can take; we need to gain hands-on experience while also being able to keep up with the costs of living. This scholarship was developed to help support students with the financial expenses associated with completing a non-paid or low paid internship.”

Jessica Deemer ’21 and Chiquita Griffin

All students that will be returning as undergraduates in fall 2023 are eligible to apply and do not need to have a secured internship at the time of application. There are some restrictions, however. Internships must be at least 140 hours during the summer months, and stipends may not be used to fund any fees related to academic credit. Furthermore, internships secured through fee-based internship placement services or for Muhlenberg College are not eligible.

The application can be found through the OneLogin portal on Handshake or on the Career Center’s Instagram (@bergcareer) through their LinkTree. Applications will close on Mar. 10 and students who are selected will be asked to send an internship acceptance letter before they receive their reward. Students with any questions about the scholarship should email Deemer (jessicadeemer@gmail.com) or stop by the Career Center in the basement of Seegers Union.