Students Learn About And Explore Work-Based Learning Opportunities

By Jace Gibson ’26

At the end of the 2025 Fall Term, Shenandoah University’s College of Arts and Sciences co-hosted its annual Summer Internship fair with Career and Professional Development. The internship fair was aimed not only at CAS students, but also those in the Division of Advanced Technology, and the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing. 

The fair showcased how students can seek out and apply for work-based learning opportunities through the university, or for university credit, and featured a variety of student panelists who detailed their experiences with their own internships. The event also featured a session where students could talk directly with a faculty member in their department or division to get one-on-one support. Over 100 students attended the internship fair, and faculty from many departments across the university volunteered their time to assist students directly.

Student panelists included Mackenzie Watkins ’26 (Bachelor of Science in biology, B.S. in public health), who completed an internship in the University of Virginia’s Summer Research Internship Program, where she worked alongside doctoral students on lab research that studied how gene-editing impacts cancer; Drew Custer ’26 (B.S. in biology, B.S. in conservation science and management), who interned with Morgan State University and researched blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay; Grady Baggett ’26, (B.S. in environmental and sustainability studies), who completed an internship with Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park focused on meadow restoration and building spotted lantern fly traps; and Emma Johnson ’26 (B.S. in public health), who interned with the Washington County (Maryland) Health Department and performed community outreach to various audiences.

Among the advice that panelists gave their peers was the importance of being open to all opportunities, regardless of whether they directly align with career aspirations.

“Last summer I was at the Washington County Health Department in Maryland, where I live. I worked in health outreach, prevention and promotion, which meant I got to spend a lot of time getting to know and help the people in my community,” Johnson said. When asked if she had any advice for students seeking internships, she answered: “I didn’t even know the Washington County Health Department existed. Keep an open mind and say yes to things – you never know where that will lead you.”

CAS, DAT, and nursing students who are interested in applying for internships or work-based learning opportunities can self-enroll in the Summer Internship Workshop Canvas course, which provides links, tutorials and resources to aid in the search and application process. The full recording of the Fall 2025 Summer Internship Fair is also available for viewing on the course home page in Canvas.