UW–Madison: SuccessWorks Internship Fund Awardees Announced For Summer 2021

Press release from the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

July 26, 2021

This summer, SuccessWorks is financially supporting 41 College of Letters & Science students across more than 20 majors for a mix of in-person, remote and hybrid internship experiences.

“Internships are indispensable for translating skills and interests cultivated in the classroom to the hands-on exploration of career paths,” says Rebekah Pryor Paré, Associate Dean and Executive Director of SuccessWorks. “Internships also encourage students to build the professional networks that supercharge career development before graduation, and well beyond into their lives as Badger alumni.”

With many internship positions unpaid or hosted in places with a high cost of living, many students face barriers to participating in these experiences. That’s a gap SuccessWorks works to bridge. “Part-time jobs don’t always provide the professional skill-building and networks that put students on the path to career success,” adds Paré, “but quality internships have that capability and the SuccessWorks Internship Fund enables us to create access.”

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, SuccessWorks provides awards of up to $5,000, helping students with financial need cover cost of living essentials like rent and transportation. This summer, 41 students are receiving support totaling $103,500. Since 2006, 285 students have received over $780,000 in support for their internship experiences.

The summer 2021 class of SuccessWorks Internship Fund awardees are working at a diverse mix of public and private institutions, with many working in-person, others working a hybrid or completely virtual schedule, and one student completing a remote international internship based in Ghana.

Randee Kashmere Mervin (‘23), a Legal Studies and Sociology major, sees her internship at the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an opportunity to knit together her academic and professional interests.

“I’m working on building professional connections in my field of interest, developing recommendations for future endeavors, and getting professional experience, especially in stronger verbal and written communication skills,” Randee says.

Randee hopes to turn her UW experience into a career at the FBI, where she would like, “to give back to the community that did so much for me, and inspire younger black girls to see they can do anything they put their minds to despite challenges they may face.”

Tamia Fowlkes (’22) is a Journalism and Political Science major receiving internship funding support for her position at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the summer of 2021.
“I’m extremely thankful for this rewarding experience and I am grateful for the funding that I received that made this internship accessible,” she adds.

For Journalism and Political Science major Tamia Fowlkes (‘22), this summer’s internship at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is all about honing her journalism skills. “I took this position to build my confidence in writing and in-depth reporting.” she says.

Tamia got her career journey started early, connecting with SuccessWorks her first year at UW-Madison for a resume workshop. “SuccessWorks has helped me get on my feet in professional spaces, presenting the best version of myself in the job and internship search process,” she says.

Still in the midst of her internship, Tamia is already taking a long view of the experience. “Working at the intersection of politics, race, gender, and activism, I hope to serve as a leader in exposing people to the benefits of creative storytelling,” she says. “I also look forward to building spaces for civically-engaged and informed young leaders to pursue positive change.”

To learn more about the SuccessWorks Internship Fund, visit SuccessWorks on the web.

This press release was produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The views expressed here are the author’s own.