Campus Connection

It’s UWL student interns’ time to shine

Internships remain a popular option at UW-La Crosse. Students who interned during the past year will be recognized for excelling in their soon-to-be careers.

UW-La Crosse’s Internship Showcase runs from 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in The Bluffs of the UWL Student Union, 521 East Ave. N. The event also features a Prep for Success Internship Panel from 6-7 p.m.

More than 30 students being recognized at the event were nominated by their faculty internship advisors. Students will share a poster that highlights experiences, along with projects and skills learned through their internships.

Along with recognizing students who completed internships in 2018, the event is showcasing future internship options, says Karolyn Bald, assistant director of Academic Advising Center & Career Services. Bald says the event also recognizes community organizations that provide internship opportunities, along with encouraging other organizations to develop new possibilities.

Local internships are key. Nearly 70 percent of UWL’s internships are supported by a La Crosse-area employer, notes Bald. “We’re grateful for this wonderful support in providing internships in our community,” she says.

  Bald says internships offer a cost-effective strategy for recruiting highly qualified and motivated students to meet an organization's needs while creating a pipeline for future talent.

“Interns provide a fresh perspective and apply creative solutions to problems and accomplishing tasks,” she notes. “They also help employers meet peak and seasonal work demands without a long-term hiring commitment. It’s great for employers because it gives them flexibility to meet short-term and special-project needs.”

For students, internships provide needed, valuable hands-on work experience outside of class, she says.

“Students are able to apply classroom knowledge in real-work experience and learn firsthand about day-to-day job duties,” explains Bald. “Internships also give students a chance to explore different career paths or organizations. It’s kind of a ‘try-before-you-buy’ experience.”

 Bald says internships give students a competitive edge in the job market. They help develop and refine professional skills, while providing networking opportunities and confidence. “Students find out they can do it,” she says.  

During the 2017-18 academic year, UWL Career Services helped place 526 internships, providing 1,900 credit hours for students. About 98 percent of the students taking an internship earned credit.

Bald says 31 academic departments are involved in the Career Services’ internship program. (Some departments don’t report their internships through Career Services.) The four largest intern pools by program for 2017-18 were:

Psychology (89)

Accountancy (75)

Management (49

Child & Youth Care Minor (39)  

The Internship Showcase is made possible by the Academic Advising Center & Career Services and the Margins of Excellence Fund. That fund aims to heighten visibility and understanding of the importance of experiential learning as a high-impact practice — on campus and through the community.

Check out internships in UWL's Handshake system.