Newswise — Choosing a major is a stressful decision for many college students because many believe their concentration will lead to a one-way career path. After all, finance majors go into banking and biology students become doctors, right?
Not so fast. Summer internships are one of the best ways for college students to explore their professional interests. According to a recent report by Michigan State University and the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, internships are now organizations’ primary source of talent recruitment. An inside look into the summer internships of three Wake Forest University seniors shows that when it comes to their career aspirations, their passions matter much more than their majors.
Dancing on the Moon at NASA
When Briana DeVincenzo first came to college from Stoneham, Mass., she kept an open mind about choosing classes and a major. Despite her varied interests, one thing was certain – she dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut and going to space. With this always in mind, DeVincenzo decided to double major in philosophy and mathematical business and minor in dance.
Then, DeVincenzo applied for a prestigious internship with NASA at the Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Md., beating out 133 other students to achieve her dream of studying space.
At NASA, DeVincenzo is currently working on an array of groundbreaking projects that include landing a laboratory rover called “Curiosity” on Mars this August. She is also testing weather satellites to help better predict weather patterns for the Department of Defense as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“I have always been intrigued by what exists beyond our world,” said DeVincenzo. “I am so excited to finally see my dreams unfold.”
Painting her own path
For Virginia Beach, Va. native Erin Cassidy, giving back to the community isn’t just an extracurricular activity, it’s a full-time job. As a religion major with a concentration in public engagement and a studio art minor, Cassidy developed a strong interest in using the arts to promote community development throughout her experience at Wake Forest. This summer, Cassidy is putting her passions and interests to work through an internship at Red Dog Gallery for Art for Art’s Sake, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting appreciation of the arts in Winston-Salem, N.C. She is developing an educational outreach program to pair children from underprivileged communities with local artists in order to forward the organization’s mission to build, educate, and celebrate the community through art.
“I was so shocked and excited to find an internship that incorporated my professional goals and personal interests,” said Cassidy. “It is usually difficult to find paid internships in the non-profit sector, but I was able to receive a stipend from the Wake Forest Institute of Public Engagement which gave me the opportunity to take a step toward achieving my professional goals.”
Tackling public health with an international approach
Biology major Jason Green grew up with dreams of becoming a surgeon, but when he came to Wake Forest University he realized he had another strong interest – exploring different cultures. Most students interested in medicine pursue internships at local hospitals and laboratories, but Green had bigger dreams in mind.
His passion for learning about new people and cultures, awakened by his studies in anthropology here at Wake Forest, led Green to apply for the Richter Scholarship Program to gain funding for research in cardiovascular medicine at University of Cape Town in South Africa. Green’s proposal was granted, and he has spent his summer conducting research and living with people from all over the world, including Sweden, Nigeria and Liberia.
“My experience in South Africa opened my eyes to larger problems in public health,” said Green, who also played on the football team. “Now I know that I want to use my research skills in order to tackle larger healthcare issues in our world such as HIV.”
Green plans on one day returning to South Africa in order to put his research skills and knowledge to use in order to tackle these daunting issues in public health.
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