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Meet CrusaderIntern Rosemary Weiss ’18

Meet Rosemary Weiss ’18 Development Intern at Hot Snakes Media

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

I worked on the research and development of a documentary series.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I study Theatre at Holy Cross, and act and work on the technical side of production. I have learned that you have to work hard, be adaptable, and always keep in mind the end goal–the production.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

How immersed I am in the production of this TV series.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

I have always wanted to work creatively and in the entertainment industry–either writing, acting, or producing, theatre, TV, or film. This internship has put me in the center of it all and prepared me to go forward in my career.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Give it your all, do not be afraid to share your ideas, and be ready to learn from the pros.
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Meet CrusaderIntern Sahra Hassan ’19

Meet Sahra Hassan ’19 Intern at Central West Justice Center.

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

My day to day work involves reviewing client documents and figuring out why the client’s benefits (either Food stamps, SSI, or EAEDC) have been reduced, cut or terminated. My long term projects include writing a commercial script about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps) to the purpose of educating the public about the importance of SNAP, who is eligible, and de- stigmatizing it. The other project involves writing a benefits booklet about TAFDC, EAEDC, and SNAP.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I have utilized my writing skills a lot. I often write statements to clients and the Department of Transitional Assistance (administers food stamp program).

What has surprised you about being an intern?

I was surprised at how quickly I was able to follow and understand legal terms and documents.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This internship made me realize that law school is not for me; however, I appreciate the experience I had at Central West. I now know that I am more passionate about humanitarianism than legal work.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Do yourself a favor and do an internship that is fulfilling and makes a good experience and not one that just looks good on your resume.
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Meet CrusaderIntern Paul Endres ’18

Meet Paul Endres ’18 Clinical Observer/Data Researcher at Winthrop University Hospital

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

I am interning at Winthrop University Hospital, doing something different every day! Part of the week I am in New York City at the NYCyberknife, Winthrop’s specialized Radiation Oncology office. There I get to observe the doctors, nurses, and radiation techs in the daily running of the office.

Additionally, I am am working on a research project! I am studying the effect different dosages of radiation to the prostate and surrounding organs have on short and long term quality of life. The days I am not in New York City, I am out in the main hospital in Mineola, Long Island. There, I get to shadow different medical professionals in different departments. Some departments I have been in include Emergency Medicine, Interventional Radiation, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatrics, and the Intensive Care Unit! Every day is something new and exciting!

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I apply my academic skills every day at my internship. I often times draw on my studies of biology and chemistry to be able to talk with medical professionals regarding the cases I am observing. Additionally, I use my scientific research and data skills in my research of radiation oncology.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

I am most surprised by how helpful people have been if I just ask. I often times go into different departments, and am connected with one person there through my boss. However, by the end of one day, most people in the department know who I am and go out of their way to make sure that I am learning and enjoying my time.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

Through my time at Winthrop University Hospital, I have been able to experience a great sampling of the medical field. Before this experience, I did not know anything about some of the fields, such as emergency medicine and interventional radiology. Additionally, I thought I would never enjoy surgery, until this position placed me in the operating room and I was able to observe amazing procedures such as open heart surgery or a robotic hysterectomy. This experience has opened my eyes to the broad scope of medicine, and has made me realize how many options there are in the medical field!

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Go with the flow! Not every internship is perfect. Sometimes schedules change or you have to go somewhere you may not want to. Embrace these experiences! It is ok to be nervous, but do not let your fear keep you from trying something new. You would be surprised how much you may enjoy something you think you will hate!
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Meet Catherine Griffin’18, Marketing Intern at Fidelity Investments

Read about Catherine Griffin’s experience as a Fidelity Institutional Asset Management (FIAM) Marketing Intern this summer.

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

This summer I am interning at Fidelity Investments in Boston. Fidelity is a well known financial services company that aims to help clients meet their financial goals. As an intern in the broader department of Asset Management, I am working closely with the portfolio managing team, in addition to the FIAM marketing team, to assist in the development and execution of marketing materials with a specific focus on managed account solutions within the Asset Allocation business. The awesome part about my job is that I get to do real work, not just intern work. I am assigned real projects that help the team and the company, and they help me learn the business. It is a win win!

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

As a history major, I am taught how to read, write and think critically. I think that my liberal arts education, while I will say I am definitely the odd one out in my group of asset management interns, has been a valuable asset to my performance. Every time I am assigned a task, I am able to approach it with critical eye and I always, always ask questions. I can think outside the box for solutions and I can perform my projects efficiently.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

What has surprised me most is how friendly everyone at Fidelity is and how they all want you to succeed. Networking has been so easy because everyone is always happy to sit down with you for coffee. I am also surprised at the value my work has. My team has assigned me real projects, some that will eventually be client facing, so I am challenged to come up with innovative ideas and perform my job well. I am really lucky to have the opportunity for the summer and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of my internship has in store!

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience has influenced my career goals tremendously. I have learned a lot about myself as an employee and have been developing so many valuable skills. I have also learned what it is like to work for a big company, and that I really enjoy working for Fidelity. My mentors have given me a lot of great career advice and I am currently exploring different roles and teams within Fidelity like consulting or business strategy.

I definitely think I have a better idea of what I like and don’t like, my strengths and weaknesses and my passions. I like working for an organization that cares deeply about its employees and its clients. I love leaving everyday feeling like I have learned something new. I hope to continue my career in business in something that keeps me excited and working hard day in and day out.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

First, Network, network, network! I know it can be intimidating, but especially when you have an internship, you already have an “in” in that company, take advantage of it!

Second, take the time you have to learn as much about the company as you can, meet with as many people as are willing, and go above and beyond in your assignments. Work ethic and attitude will get you a long way in the work force, or so I have been told.

And finally, use your time wisely. The last thing you want is to walk away from an opportunity feeling like you didn’t take full advantage of it. Also leverage the fact that you go to Holy Cross. I have had some of the most meaningful conversations and have made great connections with people who have gone to HC. I’ve found that they love to hear about your experience, and more importantly, they want to help you succeed!
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Meet CrusaderIntern Gabriel Castagna’18

Meet Gabriel Castagna’18 Editorial Intern at SourceMedia.

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

My internship is at a newsroom in Downtown Manhattan. SourceMedia has multiple different publications, all with a focus on financial news in various categories. The publication I primarily work with is called Asset Securitization Report, and as the name suggests it focuses on news regarding new securitization deals and regulation in securitization markets.

I typically start the day by logging on to the company’s Twitter account (follow @_ASReport !) and tweet out links and headlines to ASR’s latest stories. I then spend a few minutes scrolling through the latest #securitization hashtagged tweets to see if there is anything worthy of a retweet that may be of interest to our readers. Next, I convene with my supervisor to see if anything newsworthy is happening in the securitization market and come up with a topic to research and write about. I spend the rest of the day researching, writing, and revising until I have a fully-edited story ready for publication.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

My academic learnings have been vital to my internship experience. As a Political Science major, much of my work involves researching and dissecting articles for information that may be relevant to whatever topic I am assigned to write about. That is what I spend the majority of my day doing here at SourceMedia. My Holy Cross experience has taught me how to research effectively and write professionally in a timely manner.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

The most surprising thing about being an intern in my experience is that nobody sees you as subordinate or less valuable to the company because of your intern status. At least in my case, I feel like the full-time employees here view me in the same regard. Expectations are just as high for you as they are for full-time employees; nobody will cut you breaks or expect any less of you because you’re an intern.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

I hope to someday work in financial services, though I’m not sure what in particular I’d like to pursue. The finance knowledge I am acquiring will be extremely useful in my future career plans; I’ve learned more about financial markets in the past three weeks alone than I have my entire life.

I never considered working in journalism before, but given how much I am enjoying my internship I could see myself pursuing that particular career path. Personally, I think it’s so cool that people I’ll never meet read my articles every day, and pay to do so. There’s something rewarding about that, and it actually motivates me to do my work to the best of my ability knowing that people other than my professors genuinely care about what I write.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Remember why you’re interning. It’s nice to have a summer job and make some extra cash before heading back to school, but that isn’t why you’re interning. You’re there to learn, to see, and to network. Take advantage of the opportunity you have before you; a lot of students would love to be in your shoes. Meet everyone you can, because you’ll never know what you might learn from them or who may offer you a job sometime down the road. Lastly, work hard. Always. There are tons of other kids just as qualified as you for your position, but they chose you. If you’re going to slack, your company will have no problem trading you for one of the other thousands of kids raring to prove themselves.
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Meet CrusaderIntern Taylor Moss’18

Meet Taylor Moss’18 Summer Clerk at Sullivan Papain Block McGrath & Cannavo P.C.

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

I am interning at a law firm in NYC. I specifically work with cases for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), which is a government program that provides financial aid to those with illnesses and injuries from being around the World Trade Center after 9/11. This cause is close to my heart, as my dad was a first responder on 9/11. I admire his firehouse so much that I wear the number 74 when I play softball here at Holy Cross after his company, Engine 74. My role in the office mainly consists of calling and interviewing witnesses to prove our clients’ presence at the WTC site. Then, I write the affidavits for the witnesses to sign and give to the VCF. I love being able to have hands-on work that I can directly see the impact of. One of the most surprising aspects is that the injuries and illnesses are still happening every day, the effects of 9/11 didn’t just end on that day for those who were in the area, even if they were there months after the toxins still lingered. Working for something that I feel is so important and that I have a personal connection to has been really fulfilling.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

As an English major, I have done a lot of writing, which has definitely come in handy while writing the affidavits. My Creative Writing concentration taught me how to write towards a target audience. I’m really grateful that I know how to write clearly, succinctly and objectively because I’ve practiced it. There is also a lot of reading at the firm, whether it is going through cases or medical histories or reading the policies of the VCF in general. English has really prepared me to read analytically and quickly. I can now summarize large texts efficiently. Also, the legal jargon is nothing compared to when I read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales for the first time.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

I was most surprised at the responsibility I was given. Being able to write actual court documents is not something I ever pictured myself doing! It is nice to know that I am trusted to work directly with clients and witnesses.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

Last summer, I had a Trade Marketing internship at Scholastic, Inc. and as much as I loved it, I wanted to try another field before committing to marketing because I thought I wouldn’t really know if I liked it until I had something to compare it to. After this summer, I am more certain that I would like to go into marketing rather than law, but my time at the firm has taught me so much. For example, everyone has different roles that intertwine to help each client and seeing how that assembly line works has shown me just how important teamwork is in the workplace. I think my experience really helped my communication skills. We are in the age that I almost never had to talk to people on the phone, now I do it every day. It’s different than texting or being in person, but I’ve really started to learn the ins and outs of it. After each task I complete, I get more and more confident in my abilities and can feel myself growing. Most importantly, this summer I learned how important it is to work for a place or cause that means a lot to you. Working with VCF clients was always rewarding, no matter how difficult the task was. I’d like to continue to have that fulfilled feeling after each work day.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Don’t be afraid to try something new. The point of an internship is to gain experience, and the best way to know if you like something is to try it. Even if you start working and find that the field isn’t for you, that’s okay! There’s still so much to learn that can be applied to other areas. Gaining work experience will help your overall growth, no matter what the field so don’t be afraid to go out on a limb! There’s always a learning curve, so don’t worry about not being good at something, everyone starts out at the beginning. Take time to know your coworkers, they can show you the ropes and always have the best advice because they speak from personal experience.
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#CrusaderIntern: Prepare + Prosper

Name: Mae Hougo ’18
Organization: Prepare + Prosper

Prepare + Prosper is a free tax and financial services non-profit based in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the tax season Prepare + Prosper sets up free tax clinics all around the metro area, which people below a certain income can come and receive tax help from our trained volunteers. The organization also encourages people to see their tax refund as a “money moment.” Their refund could be used to set up a savings account for the unforeseeable emergencies in life.

What were you up to this past summer?

I am the outreach intern here at Prepare + Prosper. I am working with the communications staff to inform the community about Prepare + Prospers services, and a few specific tax credits. In Minnesota there is a tax credit for families with children in grades K-12 to write off the school supplies and materials they buy. The summer is the perfect time of year to encourage families to save their receipts. My job has been to contact the principals of schools in the area, as well as local organizations that might be having back-to-school events. I send the schools and organizations materials and information about the tax credit and our services.

I also work with on the Claim It Campaign, which is a state wide campaign informing the public about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a federal tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. This tax credit is the number one way to fight poverty in our country. I work with our Campaign Manager here at Prepare + Prosper in restructuring our materials so that they are useful, engaging tools for our viewers. I am also helping the organization become better connected with counties around the state in order to reach more people eligible for the credit.

What was your favorite part?

My favorite part of my internship was going into the community and sharing with people how our services can help them become more financially stable. Whether it is at a local shelter, or a veteran’s event, I enjoy the one-on-one time I can spend with members of the community. I hope that my doing so incentivizes more people to use our tax and financial services, which can allow them to get ahead.

What surprised you?

What has surprised me the most is how dedicated the network of volunteers is to Prepare + Prosper’s mission. I have been fortunate enough to attend a volunteer appreciation event. The volunteers dedicate so much of their time to this organization, and a lot of them donate money as well. They see how a tax refund can better a life, and continue to volunteer year after year.
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#CrusaderIntern: Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Name: Elizabeth Buckley ’18
Organization: Brigham and Women’s hospital for the Genomes2People Research Program

What were you up to this past summer?

This past summer I am interned at Brigham and Women’s hospital for the Genomes2People Research Program. Genomes2People is a group that performs various clinical trial projects based around the risks and benefits that sequencing genomes for risk of illness will have on people. The project I have been working most closely with is the BabySeq Project. Genome sequencing is used to show the risk of various illnesses that a baby may have up to adulthood. The risks and benefits of knowing this uncertain information is studied among parents and pediatricians to better understand whether widespread genome sequencing should be used in the near future, for purposes such as personalized medicine.

I helped the research assistants with various tasks, such as updating online patient databases as well as editing and revising consent forms that are subsequently sent to be reviewed before being approved for use in the trial.

What was your favorite part?

I really enjoyed the opportunity to work in a job based around biology and academia. It has definitely opened my eyes to the type of work I can expect post graduation if I enter this field. I have also been able to decide whether working in a clinical trial program is what I would like to do in the future. There are many different jobs available in the lab setting, such as genetic counselor, research assistant, etc. I have been able to observe and help with various projects in each of these departments.

What surprised you?

I was surprised when I started working here that clinical research is so different from research in an actual lab. The group is small and everyone works in the same office space so everyone contributes to each overall project. Overall, I had a great experience with G2P and enjoyed the opportunity to experience working on such an interesting project and topic.
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#CrusaderIntern: KCSA Strategic Communications

Catherine Greene ’17
KCSA Strategic Communications

What were you up to this past summer?
As an intern at KCSA, I split my time working on two accounts. One of the biggest parts of my internship is research. From researching press release coverage, to potential contacts for clients, and a wide variety of statistics that our clients utilize, I spent a good amount of my day reading. In addition to this, it is safe to say that I spent an equal amount of time writing briefing books and outreach emails for clients. Many days I will have two or three meetings, listening in on conference calls with clients and other PR firms, as well as participating in brainstorming sessions.

What was your favorite part?
Having the opportunity to intern at a well-regarded communications firm is something that I am very grateful for. I was exposed to many commonly-used PR tools such as Gorkana and Factiva, and worked with account directors and high-up executives. I love the fact that I get to go into work everyday knowing that I will be doing something different for two different accounts, and leaving with a sense of accomplishment.

What surprised you?
Something that surprised me the most was the prevalence of Excel in the public relations industry. While it is not used for computing, it is used as a means of organization and as a way to present information to clients. I met with a man that worked at Google here in New York and he told me that if there is one thing I can enter the workplace with is proficiency in Excel. I would definitely say that this is true and I would recommend to all students seeking internships that they have somewhat of a capacity for Excel.
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State Department Internship stipend

Are you applying for the summer 2012 State Department Internship?  If so, and you are selected to intern in London, Paris or the Office of the Secretary in Washington, you are eligible to apply for a $5,000 fellowship to cover your summer expenses!