Over the course of 10 weeks, Oxy’s signature internship program offers students real-world experience, professional development training and a chance to explore their career interests as undergraduates.
This summer, 38 professional organizations across greater Los Angeles hired more than 40 鶹Ƶstudents from diverse academic disciplines to work as paid interns in a variety of capacities.
2019 marks InternLA’s sixth year, and the program has expanded impressively. Nine new employers this year included First5LA, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Returning employers included City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, the L.A. Mayor’s office, Southern California Public Radio, the GRAMMY Museum, the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, Council for Watershed Health and many others.
In addition to their full-time internship, InternLA participants received professional development training through weekly Impact Sessions that took place on campus and featured expert speakers from the hiring organizations. Topics ranged from business communication to global and intercultural fluency, leadership and empathy training, working effectively within a team and writing personal statements.
A closing luncheon on July 26 celebrated the accomplishments of the interns and honored the employers for their commitment to the professional development of 鶹Ƶstudents. 鶹ƵBoard of Trustees member Lori Hunter ’79 P’08, executive vice president at Worldwide Facilities, Inc., gave a keynote speech to more than 80 attendees.