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Oct. 15: A. James Clark School of Engineering Innovation Hall of Fame Induction Oct. 16 and 17: Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Nov. 11: Maryland Society Reception (prior to Shirley Povich Symposium) Nov. 11: Shirley Povich Symposium Nov. 19: College of Education Alumni Awards Dinner |
Join the Clark School in honoring Buno Pati ’86,M.A. ’88 and Ph.D. ’92 for his innovations in electronic circuitry that paved the way for the powerful, low-cost electronic devices that are now part of everyday life. |
 Helping Students Reach for the StarsInterning Abroad: Work with a Different View By Kimberly Marselas
In addition to developing practical skills and knowledge he can use in his career, Cohn says, meeting so many people affected by terrorism gave him new perspective on the philosophical and ethical arguments he’s heard in the classroom. “I was studying with real experts eight hours a day, every day, and discussing security issues with them,” says the junior psychology major, who is minoring in philosophy and terrorism studies. “I was going to places and observing things that had happened firsthand. It’s not abstract anymore.” Cohn was one of 41 Maryland students who won scholarship support from The President’s Promise initiative while they interned last summer. Students were eligible if they interned locally, nationally or internationally. Eighty-eight students applied for awards. The goal of The President’s Promise initiative is to ensure students have the opportunity to engage in special experiences outside of the classroom. The number of students who want to work abroad is growing, as is demand for such programming. Between the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 school years, the latest year for which statistics are available, the number of college students pursuing an internship or work abroad jumped from 5,584 students to 8,021. “Employers value students who have practical professional experience in their field,” says Michael Ulrich, associate director of Maryland’s International Education Services. “They also list adaptability and flexibility as important. The ability to work on multicultural teams, an appreciation of diversity—all of these can be gained by interning abroad.” Study Abroad and the University Career Center are formalizing more international internship experiences. An internship option for students in the Maryland in London program is already available; 15-25 students participate annually. The university will offer for-credit internships in a new Maryland in Haifa program in Israel, and Ulrich says the option may be offered in Shanghai, as well. “The university is continuing to find ways to enhance the things we’re already doing,” says Erin Rooney-Eckel, associate director of The President’s Promise. “We would love to grow this program and be able to award more scholarships.” The first round of scholarships, ranging from $250 to $1,000, was funded by the career center; Rooney-Eckel says the program may need outside support in its second year. Cohn says his $500 scholarship helped ease his decision to commit to a job that could only offer nonfinancial rewards. In his nine weeks at the institute, he served as a research analyst helping to put together grant applications, gave training seminars to security force delegations and greatly improved his Hebrew. “I really did view it as more of a job than an internship,” says Cohn, who plans to practice law with a focus on terrorism and security. “It was an incredible opportunity.” Learn how you can make your mark on Maryland by supporting The President's Promise.  | ||||||
