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

K in the Zoo is back this Spring Break with another round of short, high-impact job shadow opportunities for Kalamazoo College students.

Spring Break job shadows are meant to be easy. They are a chance to spend a day with a Kalamazoo College alum or local professional, see what their work actually looks like, and ask the kinds of questions you cannot always get answered in a classroom setting. You will mostly be observing, listening, and learning. It is a simple way to get a real feel for a career field without any pressure to already know what you are doing.

The program is open to all K students, and no experience is required. This year’s Spring Break hosts work in a wide range of fields, all right here in the Kalamazoo area. Learn more about the K in the Zoo program and apply now. Applications due Tuesday, February 27, 2026 (Week 7).

The Kalamazoo College Employer Connection Fair is coming up in Week 6, and we have some genuinely great employers attending.

This is a chance to explore career paths, ask real questions, and make connections with professionals right here on campus. Whether you already know what field you’re interested in or you’re still figuring it out, the Fair is a low pressure way to learn more about what different industries look like day to day. Students of every major are encouraged to attend.

We’re excited to welcome a wide range of employers, including:

• Corewell Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the state
• Eurofins, a global leader in biotech and laboratory research
• City Year and Michigan Education Corps, for students interested in education and youth service
• Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, focused on immigration law and justice work
• Mercantile Bank, a Michigan based commercial bank with business and finance opportunities
• Fastenal, with early career pathways in operations and leadership
• Greenleaf Hospitality Group, a major local employer in hospitality and guest experience
• Taplin Group, doing hands on environmental and infrastructure work across the Midwest
• Owen Ames Kimball, an employee owned construction management firm

Kalamazoo College Employer Connection Fair
Wednesday, February 11 (Week 6)
3 to 5 p.m.
Dewing Commons

If you want to feel more prepared before the Fair, Resume Week is happening this week in the Career Studio all next week. Stop by during drop in hours in Dewing 102 for personalized feedback on your resume, help preparing questions for employers, and support with anything related to career exploration.

Career Studio Drop In Hours
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Snacks will be available all Week 5.

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.

Kalamazoo College Athletics, Alumni Engagement, and the Center for Career and Professional Development will host Beyond the Game: Athletes & Alumni Networking on Monday, March 2, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Hornet Suite.

This event brings together current Kalamazoo College junior and senior student-athletes and alumni athletes for an evening of networking and conversation focused on life after college athletics. Participants will connect through informal networking and small-group discussions that highlight alumni career paths, the transition from college sports to professional life, and the ways athletic experiences translate into careers and leadership beyond the game.

Beyond the Game is designed to support student-athletes at all stages of career exploration while strengthening connections between Hornet athletes across generations.

Registration
Please register in advance using the following links:

• Alumni Athletes: Register here
• Student Athletes: Register here

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Valerie Miller at vmiller@kzoo.edu.

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.

Supported by a CCPD Summer Internship Stipend, this student spent the summer working in a neuroscience lab at Washington University in St. Louis, conducting behavioral assays on mouse pups to study genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders. Through hands-on research, data analysis, and collaboration within a lab setting, the experience offered insight into both the realities of scientific research and the kind of work environment they hope to pursue in the future.

“Hi, my name is Carter Haley (far right), and this Summer I worked at Washington University in St. Louis in the lab of Joe Dougherty (middle). I was under the supervision of Susan “Suz” Maloney (not pictured) and Joshua Thope (not pictured), and I was primarily doing behavioral assays on mouse pups to study the effects of genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders.

I ran two studies. In the first study, I studied the neonatal communication alterations in mouse pups caused by Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). We recorded the ultrasonic sounds, aka ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), in order to look at an Autism Spectrum Disorder phenotype found in humans with NF1. The second study focused on the neonatal motor assessment of mice with MYT1L syndrome. I performed a battery of tests on pups that were less than 1-2 weeks old to study a hypotonia phenotype, which is common in human patients with MYT1L syndrome. I was also responsible for genotyping, husbandry (taking care of mice), data analysis, reading papers, and presenting research findings, both mine and others.

During my time in the lab, I learned a lot about the pressures and responsibilities of working in a lab. I also learned a lot about myself and what my ideal work environment looks like. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and the community that I built with the members of the lab.  I look forward to utilizing the skills I learned in this experience to inform the future lab I work in. I will never forget this experience.” – Carter Haley ’28