With the CCPD Summer Internship Stipend deadline coming up next week, this story offers a clear example of how that support can open doors. Through a stipend-funded internship at The Children’s Center, this student gained exposure to child-focused mental health services while also learning how nonprofit organizations operate across departments. The experience provided clarity about future career goals and reinforced a commitment to serving children and families.

“The organization where I interned this summer, a non-profit known as The Children’s Center, has helped shape my professional skill set with so many aspects of my experience. The Children’s Center provides mental health care for children, parenting classes for expecting parents, psychiatric services, connections to adoption agencies, and so much more.  

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to work with children, especially in a mental health setting. Nonetheless, I have yet to make a decision on what exactly I would like to do to show support for the children in my community. This made working at a non-profit like The Children’s Center incredibly helpful as I embark on a journey of future career discovery. Not only was I able to step beyond the role of a psychology student in this position, I was also able to expose myself to different aspects of maintaining an organization such as observing facilitative duties, partaking in customer service skill building activities, discerning the management of crises at the administrative level, collaborating with multiple departments, and networking with people of various backgrounds. Navigating this environment taught me a lot about the roles that every position plays in maintaining non-profit organizations, which has allowed me to see the true selfless nature that accompanies this line of work. Not only are the professionals working directly with the children incredibly selfless in their support of their clients and families, but so is every other department that makes sacrifices to provide assistance to the company mission whether it be through donations from their personal checks, overtime spent in the office, efforts to interact directly with families regardless of their position/title, or even participating in maintaining the culture of the work environment.

Being able to observe many facets of what it truly means to center the needs of children and families in order to help them shape their own future has given me insight into exactly the kind of work environment I would like in my future, one where I can work collaboratively with others towards a common goal, serving the next generation.” Micahaia Reynolds ’27 

The CCPD Summer Internship Stipend makes it possible for students to pursue full-time research without needing to take on separate summer employment. In this post, a student reflects on conducting condensed matter physics research at Western Michigan University, working with superconducting materials and advanced lab equipment. The experience strengthened hands-on technical skills and confirmed a desire to pursue graduate study in physics.

“This summer I was fortunate enough to be able to spend it conducting research. That’s because with the Summer Internship Stipend, I was able to do my research without worrying about getting a summer job! Throughout the summer, I conducted research on condensed matter physics at Western Michigan University’s physics department studying the superconductor, Bi₃In₅. 

Western Michigan University’s physics department is small but mighty. Professors are always busy helping students and supervising research, while the grad students work tirelessly on their experiments. I worked closely with Dr. Clem and his graduate student Saptadipa, using lab equipment such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), vibrating sample magnetization (VSM), and furnaces. The casual but focused environment of the lab was perfect for me to grow as a researcher. I was encouraged to ask any questions I had and was never expected to succeed in my first try, easing the pressure of using this expensive machinery.  

One thing I really enjoyed was their willingness to allow me to contribute my ideas and to let me work on tasks alone. I created samples of Bi3In5, cut samples into size, and wired them to resistivity pucks for testing all without supervision, making me feel like a true researcher. I helped design experiments and my input in each step was always valued. My favorite part of my research was being able to use a blow torch to create tubes filled with inert argon to melt our sample! 

Through this experience, I gained valuable knowledge in experimental design and hands-on application of research techniques. It also showed me just how rewarding and fun research can be. My goal now is to attend graduate school and continue doing cutting-edge and valuable research.” – Alek Hultberg ’26

This story highlights how a CCPD Summer Internship Stipend helped one student spend the summer at SALEM International, a community center in Mindo, Ecuador. While there, Isabel worked closely with children and teens, supported day-to-day programming, and collaborated with an on-site psychologist. The experience deepened her Spanish, expanded her understanding of therapeutic work with young people, and helped her think more concretely about future career options.

“I spent this summer working at SALEM International, a nonprofit located in Mindo, Ecuador. SALEM is a community center for children, teens, and families and I learned about their volunteer opportunities during my time studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador. They focused on supporting the community of Mindo by providing engaging activities, therapy, food for children and teens as well as providing information and educational resources to their caretakers about parenting 

During my time in SALEM, I worked with children ages 5 to 8 and teens ages 13 to 16 and supporting activities like sewing and art classes, playing with the children, and setting up fun events like talent shows! My daily responsibilities included helping prepare the spaces around SALEM and preparing lunch as well and greeting the children and supervising lunch time. In addition to these responsibilities, I had the opportunity to work with their on-site psychologist. I helped her create materials for her therapy sessions like for cards to describe emotions and researching methods for coping with strong emotions.  

This experience allowed me to continue improving my Spanish-speaking skills while gaining experience working with a psychologist during the summer before my senior year. Having the opportunity to explore aspects of both of my majors, Spanish and Psychology, before my senior year has been super beneficial while I consider my next steps. I am interested in pursuing a career working with children as speech pathologist or child psychologist and gaining more experience working with children while exploring therapy has given me a deeper understanding of what I want my future career to look like, regardless of what path I choose.” – Isabel Reyes ’26

K students are once again able to apply for CCPD Summer Internship Stipends (apps due February 27) to help make meaningful, hands-on experiences financially possible. In this post, a student reflects on an internship with Legendary Sports Xperiences, supporting youth football camps hosted by professional athletes across the country. Through event promotion, on-site logistics, and community engagement, the experience strengthened Brayden’s marketing skills and confirmed his growing interest in a career at the intersection of sports and youth development.

“I began my internship with Legendary Sports Xperiences with limited prior experience in the sports marketing field, yet I quickly found myself learning a great deal through the responsibilities I was given. Legendary Sports Xperiences is an organization that partners with professional athletes to host youth football camps across the country. These camps provide young athletes with the chance to learn directly from players they admire while also creating positive community engagement. Being part of this mission gave me valuable insight into both the business and personal sides of the sports industry. My primary role throughout the internship was assisting with the marketing and promotion of each camp.

This included working to raise awareness in local communities, developing strategies to encourage registration, and handling logistics before and during the events. One key experience was traveling to Colorado to help promote the Patrick Surtain camp. I worked in a campaign booth two weeks prior to the event, which revealed the amount of planning and effort that goes into securing strong participation. Another significant experience came in Nashville, where I was responsible for ensuring campers had a positive experience on the field during the Will Levis camp. From organizing photo opportunities with the athlete to communicating with parents, I saw firsthand how attention to detail contributes to the overall success of these events. Through these responsibilities, I developed important professional skills. Time management became essential as I balanced multiple tasks leading up to camp days, while my interpersonal skills grew from engaging with both children and parents in fast-paced environments. I also learned valuable lessons about marketing with what strategies effectively generate interest and which approaches are less impactful. Overall, this internship confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in the sports industry. Working directly with professional athletes while creating memorable experiences for young players was incredibly rewarding, and it solidified my long-term goal of building a career that connects sports, marketing, and youth development.”

– Brayden Ledin ’27

Working within the Congress of the State of Hidalgo in Mexico, this student spent the summer gaining firsthand experience with legislative processes and public service through a CCPD-supported internship*. By contributing to policy research, supporting community engagement, and observing congressional sessions, the experience strengthened communication skills and clarified a long-term commitment to advocacy and public leadership.

“This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at the Congress of the State of Hidalgo in Mexico. As a Political Science and Economics major, I was excited to witness how legislative work operates from the inside.

Throughout my time in Congress, I supported a variety of responsibilities, including drafting reports, assisting with policy research, coordinating logistics for community events, and attending congressional sessions. One of the most fulfilling parts of the experience was engaging directly with constituents during public visits and listening to their concerns. These moments reminded me that meaningful political work must begin with empathy and accountability.

This internship pushed me to grow both professionally and personally. I became more confident in my ability to communicate across different audiences. More than anything, I discovered how much I value work that is rooted in public service, collaboration, and long-term impact. It confirmed that I want a career where I can use my skills to advocate for others and contribute to real, structural change.

Receiving a stipend made it financially possible for me to pursue this opportunity without added concerns. I am also grateful for the guidance I received from the Center for Career and Professional Development throughout the application and reflection process. The reflection process especially encouraged me to think deeply about the path I want to take, not only at a professional level, but also at a personal one.

This internship not only deepened my commitment to public service but also gave me a clearer vision of the kind of leader I hope to become. I leave with a new sense of purpose and a deep appreciation for the power of politics to make a real difference.” – Alondra Danahe Montoya Martinez ’28

*Internship stipend applications are now open, learn more here.

During a CCPD-supported summer internship*, this student worked as a software intern at Entwicklerburg, gaining experience across both research-based tasks and hands-on development. By contributing to an internal tool built from scratch and reflecting on different types of technical work, the internship clarified which aspects of software engineering were most engaging and where to focus future learning.

“This summer I had the chance to intern at Entwicklerburg as a software intern. It was a really valuable experience that especially helped me understand more about the kind of work I enjoy and what I want to focus on in the future. 

At the beginning of the internship, I worked on a project that was mostly research based. My job was to collect information, compare different approaches, and share my findings with the team. It was interesting and helped me practice being organized and careful with details, but I realized it wasn’t the type of work that made me feel most excited or motivated. I was then able to switch to another project that focused on building an internal tool for the company. This internal tool was a calendar system from scratch. It lets workers schedule their vacation days, and it can be accessed from two sides: one for employees and one for management. This project was much more practical and let me actually write code. I really enjoyed watching the tool improve step by step. 

Through this internship, I had a lot of insights. It is important being open to change and willing to try something new. It helped me improve my coding skills and that’s something I wanted to do starting this internship. Moreover, after working with full-stack development I realized I needed to deepen my knowledge in back-end and how it connects with front-end. 

I am very thankful to the CCPD for their support, which made this opportunity more meaningful.” – Nailia Narynbek Kyzy ’27

*Internship stipend applications are now open, learn more here.