McDonough awards scholarships
By Claire Berlin
cab001@marietta.edu
A common question first heard at the start of the semester was, “So what did you do all summer?”

Well, if you were like a majority of students on campus you probably had a minimum wage summer job flipping burgers or being a waiter or waitress. However, a select few were graced with the coveted resume builder, the internship.

Yet, fear not! If you are thinking about looking for an internship to fulfill your required hours for graduation and to buff up that shabby resume of yours, then help is on the way, in the form of a scholarship.

Following the death this past summer of Dr. Stephen W. Schwartz, the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business has decided to create the Schwartz Internship Initiative in honor of Schwartz.

Every year, for 5 years, McDonough will award upward of $1,600 in grants to help pay for room, board and possibly travel expenses of students’ summer internship. However, the internship must be with a non-profit organization.

“If they [students] are interested in working for a non-profit, they are least likely to get paid. This scholarship takes care of some of that financial burden,” said Tanya Judd Pucella, McDonough Director of Civic Engagement.

Students need to be completing the requirements for the Major in International Leadership Studies or the Minor in Leadership Studies. Students applying for the Schwartz Internship Grant must complete their internship during the summer between their junior and senior year and have already completed the Lead 340 class.

Valerie Niedermier is a Junior and is currently taking the Lead 340 class this fall. She is planning on traveling to South America in the Summer of 2007 for an internship with the Child Family Health International organization based in La Paz, Bolivia. Niedermier would apply for the Schwartz Internship Initiative to help with her expenses.

“I hope to gain valuable experience that will impact my future decisions, while at the same time, develop a better understanding of the system of healthcare in another nation. This internship would give me an opportunity to do something that really will make a difference,” Valerie exclaimed.

What can students gain from interning at a non-profit organization? Students can share a community aspect and gain service learning experience that they wouldn’t get at a regular internship or normal job.

“If they are civic minded, it’s a way for them to explore the non-profit sector,” said Judd Pucella.

Applications are currently being developed. Interested students should see Tanya Judd Pucella for more information.