Our Summer Experiences: Bantams Benefit from Internships Across the Country

Trinity students are making the most of the summer with a wide variety of internships that add new depth to their academic pursuits. Here, some Bantams talk about what they are doing this summer and what the experiences mean for their future paths at Trinity and beyond.

Jervon Adams Jr. ’20

Internship: SiriusXM—New York City
Major: Music
Hometown: Chicago

This summer:
“I’m working for the ‘Sway in the Morning’ show on the Shade 45 channel. In addition to the usual intern tasks like picking up prints and going on coffee runs, Sway and the producers allow me to play a role in the show’s functionality. I’ve been trained on how to work the phone system, which is critical to the show, since we call callers, listeners, and supporters of the show ‘citizens.’ Our goal is make them feel like they are a part of the show. I’m responsible for organizing the ‘Get in The Game’ segment, which gives independent artists a chance to get their music in rotation. I also edit audio bites and program live audio to upload to our website and mobile app.”

The path ahead:
“Working amongst this team has not only allowed me to gain insight on their roles in the show, but on some of their other career ventures and hobbies as well. (Sway is into fishing.) This internship has improved my time management and budgeting, and has sparked a lot of inspiration and motivation for me to continue the work I already do as a Trinity student, DJ, event organizer, and as CEO and founder of Camp Trouble. As I head into my senior year, I’m looking forward to taking everything a step further.”

 

Rakan F. AlZagha ’22

Internship: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—Chicago
Majors: Economics and Public Policy & Law
Hometown: Nablus, Palestine; Orland Park, Illinois

This summer:
“As an Outreach and Government Affairs intern, I work on projects regarding community outreach, public awareness, and development, primarily for the Muslim-American population. Alongside this, I conduct research on public policy matters that affect the Muslim population and on other solidarity initiatives. For my personal project at CAIR, I am conducting research on the Palestinian Territories and their respective economies and their development since the year 1967. With my research, I will be writing articles for the Chicago Monitor news site. I have also helped organize the annual CAIR Ramadan Iftar, DNC debates viewing parties, presentations, and workshops.”

The path ahead:
“Coming from a Muslim background, this organization holds a special place in my heart. On the day of the attack on the mosque in New Zealand, CAIR was there defending and commemorating the lives that were lost, organizing vigils, and overseeing programs that helped people all across the country find peace in a time of turmoil. As of late, my future career goals are set on working in the international law sector. This decision has been influenced heavily by my time at CAIR. I have continuously seen the Civil Rights Department take on asylum cases, civil rights violations, the Travel Ban 3.0, religious discrimination lawsuits, hate crimes, and more. The work that CAIR-Chicago does is truly magnificent and inspiring, to say the least. In the coming years, I would like to apply my academic background, language abilities, and my distinct cultural background to the ultimate task of practicing law cross-nationally, either in the corporate or international affairs realm.”

 

Federica Cristofanilli ’20

Internship: The Helm Co.—New York City
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Philadelphia

This summer:
“I am working as an intern at The Helm Co., a venture capital and private equity lifestyle brand committed to elevating and investing in female entrepreneurs. The fund and e-commerce platform work to elevate and invest in female-led innovation, which makes investing in women effective, impactful, and accessible. Currently, access to venture capital is dominated by an enormous amount of gender bias. The Helm is changing that narrative, so I decided to work for a company I believed in and wanted to support further. Since the company is a startup, I have access to all team members and have gained experience across multiple sectors, such as editorial, social media production, design, customer service, e-commerce, marketing, business development, etc.”

The path ahead:
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of women to work for and learn from and it has been a very rewarding experience seeing projects transform from start to finish. This internship experience will help my future path because in one summer I was able to receive a wide variety of work experience in different fields and it’s pushed me to think differently, be more analytical, and come up with creative and effective ways to solve a problem. I can now step back and see which parts of the company I want to pursue a future career in, and along the way I am getting the intimate and dynamic work environment I craved this summer.”

 

Caila French ’21

Internship: The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc.—Boston
Major: American Studies
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

This summer:
“Being from Brooklyn and studying in Hartford, I have been exposed to the real-time effects of systematic social inequities. My internship and time in Boston this summer as a community organizer has allowed me to explore a similar city environment to add to my research. Not only is Teen Empowerment allowing me to further explore systemic social trends, but it is allowing me to spend my summer collaborating in a youth-adult partnership to produce valuable change in Roxbury and Dorchester through exposing me to the talent and passion that exists inside the community.”

The path ahead:
“Listening to the ideas and stories told by the youth I work with motivates me to pursue a career that will constantly reinforce the power in the voices of young people in the rest of my work at Trinity and wherever I end up afterwards.”

 

Katie Ix ’20

Internship: ​The Philadelphia Museum of Art—Philadelphia
Major: ​Art History
Hometown: ​Philadelphia

This summer:
​“The Museum Studies Internship Program includes group colloquium activities—which include presentations from various departments of the museum and private tours of exhibitions and galleries from head curators—and individual department placings where we complete different projects. I am working on the Donor Communications and Engagement Team, assisting with various aspects of their role in the museum’s Development Office.”

The path ahead:
“My internship experience this summer is opening my perspective on museum work and allowing me to better understand all of the moving parts that go into running a successful museum. I have had previous internships and experiences in curatorial areas of museum work, and being able to see this new side of a museum has been very interesting and exciting for me. I am very interested in the nonprofit world, and this experience is definitely a great introduction in what working in a nonprofit institution is like. Being placed in the Development Office has allowed me to consider other possible career paths in the art world, and I look forward to exploring more business-oriented art world careers.”

 

Patrick Mallett ’21

Internship: Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Office—Hartford
Major: History
Hometown: Yarmouth, Maine

This summer:
“My internship features constant exposure to all levels of government in Connecticut. I have the ability to sit in on special legislative sessions and bill signings, and the culmination of the internship will be an individual policy proposal that I will present. My other daily tasks include filing and answering phones.”

The path ahead:
“This internship has been a great way to gain valuable experience in a government office, and I plan to use my time here to influence my future career decisions. Regardless of if I choose to pursue a path in government, I have learned many critical professional skills this summer that I will take with me to my future endeavors.”

 

Sam Rotner ’20

Internship: Paperless Parts—Boston
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Swampscott, Massachusetts

This summer:
“I’m a business management intern at Paperless Parts, where my projects involve marketing, sales, customer success, and product and design. I have worked on expanding the company’s content cadence, qualifying leads on Salesforce, managing the company’s LinkedIn page, and launching paid advertisement campaigns. I was always interested in tech startups, and so the ability to have a direct and meaningful impact at the company has been unbelievable. I have been lucky to have daily interactions with the CEO, head of product, and many others that would not be possible at a larger company.”

The path ahead:
“My internship has taught me the importance of working at a company where you can leave a mark. As someone who would like to go to business school and one day work at a venture capital firm, I believe that experiencing what success and growth at smaller company feels like and being able to understand what makes a company succeed will be invaluable later in life. Reflecting on what I have learned at Trinity, inside and outside the classroom, I could not be more thankful for my experiences that have prepared me for my internship and future career.”

 

Anoushka Sood ’20

Internship: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.—New York City
Majors: Economics and Mathematics
Hometown: Bangalore, India

This summer:
“I’m a summer analyst in the Sales & Trading – Markets program for 10 weeks at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. in New York. This internship enables me to rotate through three different desks during the 10 weeks. By working three weeks at each desk, I can gain a better understanding of the different products and functions within the markets.”

The path ahead:
“From the exposure I have gained so far this summer, I am more inclined to be a trader and I’m working toward developing and aligning my skill set with the skills required by a trader on the job. I am really enjoying what I’m learning and I definitely would love to build a career for myself in this field in the future.”

 

Skyler Szot ’21

Internship: Los Alamos National Laboratory—Los Alamos, New Mexico
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Farmington, Connecticut

This summer:
“I am participating in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, which allows undergrads from the U.S. to get a research experience at one of the 17 Department of Energy (DOE) national labs. I am working in the Actinide Analytical Chemistry Group at Los Alamos, developing a fieldable instrument prototype for the isotopic determination of uranium and plutonium with high sensitivity, resolution, and speed.”

The path ahead:
“This internship has been great for me to develop my skills as an electrical engineer, with access to world-class research facilities and mentorship. I have really enjoyed the work here, and am leaning toward continuing on to a graduate degree in electrical engineering or a related field.”

 

Hamna Tariq ’20

Internship: The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars—Washington, D.C.
Majors: International Studies and Urban Studies
Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan

This summer:
“I am working as a staff and research assistant with the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, focusing on the South Asian region. I do research tasks and submit daily media reports taken from Urdu newspapers in Pakistan. I also help organize events and seminars at the Center on topics including the state of Pakistan’s economy, the aftermath of Indian Prime Minister Modi’s election, lack of environmental sustainability in Asia, and Pakistan’s education system. Simultaneously, I conduct research for my own chosen project, which will be published in an international journal.”

The path ahead:
“Working in Washington, D.C., has led me to connect with several important figures including Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, an essential connection in the pursuit of my future diplomatic career. Researching among global scholars, renowned politicians, and influential diplomats is not only an intellectually stimulating experience, but also an excellent opportunity to make lasting connections. I apply the research skills I’ve learned from being an international studies and urban studies double major at Trinity to this internship every day. In addition, this internship—with the aid of scholars at the Wilson—has led to the solidification of my thesis topic.”

Connor Wilde ’21

Internship: Connecticut’s Old State House—Hartford
Major: English
Hometown: Avon, Connecticut

This summer:
“I am working on the research and development of a new Greater Hartford Welcome Center in Connecticut’s Old State House. Through my internship, I have had the opportunity to work with a number of Greater Hartford organizations, museums, and businesses in order to provide the best introduction possible for visitors to the city.”

The path ahead:
“My internship with Connecticut’s Old State House has helped me gain valuable insight into not only the inner workings of Greater Hartford, but also the efforts and work required to start a new organization. I have been fortunate enough to take part in all aspects of the development of the Welcome Center, from focus groups, to researching services, to ordering materials and getting off the ground. I am currently considering a career in law, and this internship has helped to hone my research skills and learn the importance of bringing together all stakeholders. I believe these skills will help me no matter the field I choose.”