Opportunities for Wellesley Alumnae to Engage with Students via Internships
Learn about the various ways that alums can offer internships to students.
“I’ve definitely created new roots beyond reconnecting to my Asian heritage, and I hope that I’m one step closer to being a true citizen of the world.”
Wellesley Career Education Summer Internship Grants (Stipends for Student-Identified Placements)
Through the ongoing and generous support of our donors, the College is able to offer funding to support unpaid internships which students identify on their own. Many award recipients pursue internships in nonprofit organizations focused on education and other community development areas, but funding is available for opportunities in other sectors both within the United States and internationally, as well. In addition to the stipends, Wellesley Career Education staff provide ongoing professional development and career education training throughout their summer experiences.
“Thanks to Career Education’s generous summer internship grant, I have been able to observe and learn about the difficulties and satisfaction of managing a theatre that focuses on marginalized identities.”
“Detroit has opened my eyes to the role of the built environment in creating a sense of place for its inhabitants.”
“I’ve learned that at its core, medicine is all about creating an environment where relationships can be fostered and grown.”
“I credit Wellesley for giving me the confidence to make mistakes, and my liberal arts education for teaching me how to be flexible and adapt.”
“Spending two months in Delhi and directly seeing the impact of this NGO’s work has made us grow as students and as individuals.”
“Working on multiple ongoing projects has pushed us to become adaptive, composed professionals.”
“A typical day at the office consists of research and report-writing on topics such as public access to information, governmental corruption and financial crimes, and Argentinian geopolitical relations.”
“Under the Andean sun, we excavate the site that shows evidence of occupation for nearly 3,000 years.”
“We have authored research documents on a wide range of labor issues, from exploitative employment contracts in textile factories to sexual harassment on tea estates.”
“Our library work allows us to interact with a multitude of subjects that we would otherwise not have been exposed to and has opened our eyes to a wide variety of topics that our majors may not cover.”
Getting Started in Politics, Advocacy, Government at the Local & National Levels
Local and state government offers students a great opportunity to see how agencies and legislation work on a smaller scale. For students passionate about their state or a particular issue, state politics is a wonderful place to get started! Below, I highlight a few ways to get involved in politics at the local (including at Wellesley!) and state level. In terms of gaining experience at the national level in US politics and policy, DC is the place to go. This document will address finding a range of internships in DC as well tips for networking. We’ll start with the three branches of government, briefly address other government agencies, move to international organizations, and finish with think tanks and nonprofits. For students interested in international affairs and government, intern and/or study abroad to demonstrate your regional expertise and intercultural communication and adaptability skills.
Lumpkin Summer Institute for Service Learning
The Lumpkin Summer Institute for Service Learning offers students the opportunity to work in Boston-based non-profits geared toward social change and community engagement.
Teaching Fellowships
One of the common “purposeful activities” that fellowships can fund is teaching: in the U.S. or abroad; opportunities with or without previous teaching experience; and at all levels of instruction, from elementary school to university level and beyond. This resource is by no means exhaustive, but instead aims to provide seniors and graduates with an introduction to the biggest and most common teaching fellowships
How to Manage a Student Working on a Virtual Project
We are so glad you are able to offer a Wellesley student a virtual project. Hive Internship Projects are short-term, virtual experiences that are designed by unbundling long-term internships and separating out individual projects that can be completed remotely. Students benefit from working on a real-world project for an alumna or employer, while your company or organization will gain timely support from students. This resource offers tips and guidance to help you supervise and mentor your student throughout the duration of the project.
Service Fellowships
Service is at the very heart of Wellesley’s motto, and fellowships can support all kinds of service in the world: in the U.S. and abroad; for undergraduates and graduates; with structured opportunities, placement with NGOs, or “build your own” projects. This resource is by no means exhaustive, but instead aims to provide an introduction to some of the most common fellowships as well as some helpful first steps.
Career Education Graduate School and Career Preparation Fund
Wellesley College Career Education is pleased to offer this new opportunity for employer partners to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programming that support our low-income, first-generation, and BIPOC students while strengthening and further diversifying the employee pipeline. Wellesley is committed to placing inclusive excellence at the center of the College experience and empowering all graduates to be a force for change in the world. We invite employers to join us to ensure that all of our graduates have equal opportunity to excel in graduate school and...