Grant from Union Bank Supports 10 Student Interns from Johnson State College

January 20, 2016

Ten Johnson State College students completed internships and field experiences with area businesses, schools and nonprofit organizations during the fall 2015 semester with financial support from the Union Bank of Morrisville.

The students received grants of $200 to $500 each from the JSC Student Internship Fund, which was launched one year ago with a $3,000 grant from Union Bank. Funds were allocated to students with financial need to cover expenses associated with these experiences due to the expenses associated with them, including transportation to and from work sites, fees for background checks and conferences, and the cost of necessary equipment.

Grant recipients included students majoring in biology, education, professional studies, psychology, sociology, and wellness and alternative medicine. Intern job titles and host sites associated with the Union Bank grant this fall were: · Student teacher: Stowe Elementary School and St. Albans Central School · Animal Care Intern: ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center · Nutrition Educator: Lamoille Family Center, Families Learning Together program · Shelter Advocate Intern: Clarina Howard Nichols Center · Social Worker Trainee: Vermont Dept. for Children and Families · Volunteer Recovery Coach: Turning Point of Windham County · Clinical Intern: Maple Leaf Treatment Center · Wellness Practitioner Intern: Green Mountain Massage School and Laughing River Yoga Studio

Student Ally Bruckner received a grant to help with travel expenses to Burlington for her internship at ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center. Expressing her gratitude to Union Bank, she noted that among other things, her internship has prepared her “life after Johnson because I have learned how to conduct myself in a professional job atmosphere.” Site supervisors, too, were grateful for the work contributed by the JSC interns. “Our intern’s knowledge, enthusiasm and ability to connect with guests and volunteers made a noticeable and appreciated difference in their lives,” said Brian Condon of Turning Point of Windham County.

“We value the continued support of the Union Bank both as a generous donor and as a fantastic internship-placement site,” said Ellen Hill, internship coordinator at JSC. “Results from our 2014 graduate survey indicate that 45 percent of the students who interned were offered a job or hired at their internship site, and another 25 percent were hired elsewhere because of the experience they had gained,” she added.

Johnson State College students work as interns with businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Lamoille County and throughout the U.S. In the 2015 calendar year, 183 JSC students interned a total of 45,721 hours, earning 813 college credits in the process. These Interns included students who worked in the Congressional office of Senator Bernie Sanders and with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, the News & Citizen (reporter), Circus Smirkus (marketing assistant) and Laraway Youth & Family Services (community support mentor).

For more information about the internship program at Johnson State College, contact Ellen Hill at 635-1439 or ellen.hill@jsc.edu.