Internships: Gifts That Keep on Giving

Summer internships have long helped Vassar students gain work experience and learn more about possible career paths. Many of these internships are hosted by those in the alum network.

“Seeing alum-connected opportunities come to life for our students is incredibly gratifying because the benefits are truly twofold,” says Jannette Swanson, Director of External Engagement in Vassar’s Center for Career Education. “Our alums are an essential bridge between the classroom and careers. Every internship they post gives a student meaningful, real-world experience while also allowing them to see the power of the Vassar network firsthand. In an ever-evolving professional landscape, these connections are becoming more critical than ever.”

We highlight four exciting opportunities that Vassar students engaged with this summer, strengthening their resumes as well as their bonds of the Vassar community.

At the Intersection of Art and Environmentalism in the Swiss Alps

Some Vassar students traveled as far as the Swiss Alps for their summer internships. Madeleine Paternot ’95 is an artist and co-founder of the Verbier 3-D Foundation, a nonprofit artist residency and sculpture park in Verbier, Switzerland. “Each artist we invite receives 10,000 Swiss francs and has six weeks to respond to a curator’s question and build their sculpture. On average, there’s about 15 sculptures exhibited. It’s also free for everyone and accessible year-round,” Paternot said. Kerry-Jane Lowery ’92, another Vassar alum, works with Paternot at Verbier 3-D as the head of Communications and serves as an active board member.

For the second year in a row, Paternot hosted several Vassar students at Verbier. This year, the interns were Gracie Chang ’26, Sadie Hammarhead ’26, Lilliane Liu ’27, Wren Rearden ’26, Rachel Stanger ’27, and Neo Wu ’27.

During Rachel Stanger’s time at Verbier, where she translated French for the resident artist and assisted with studio management and pottery classes, Stanger learned a lot about the intersection of art and environmentalism. “I’ve gained a much deeper appreciation of how much effort and consideration they put into the creation and installation of each piece,” she said. “Environmentalism has always been at the forefront of their organization, and they challenge the artist that they invite to work with them to really engage in the local culture, and find creative, ecologically friendly ways to use materials and install their sculptures in the park.”

“They’re incredibly agile, and you can see that they get work done, they’re autonomous, and they really do know their art,” Paternot said of the interns. “We feel super comfortable with what they’re producing. On their own, they really take initiative.”

Focusing on Justice Innovation in Brooklyn

Three Vassar students—Clarisse Gonzalez ’28, Rahul Raghumaran ’27, and Alissa Seedansingh ’26—worked with Lorice Rodney ’20 at Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI), a nonprofit organization that provides criminal court case support through supervised release and alternative sentencing options. Rodney served as the Associate Director of Court Operations at Brooklyn Justice Initiatives within the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI) before pursuing her law degree at Rutgers University this fall. Rodney said she enjoyed “building a sense of community for our participants—showing them that the court system can be a place for restoration and rehabilitation, not just punishment.”

Raghumaran, a political science major, said his internship was a positive and welcoming experience. “My number one takeaway from my time with BJI is the amount of constant work, dedication, and advocacy that goes into maintaining the success of an organization like that,” he said. “The state tends to be quite resistant to any substantive reform, and even in a relatively socially progressive place like New York City, BJI has to work hard to reproduce itself as a meaningful part of the judicial process.”

“I feel like I’m doing something that matters,” Gonzalez said of her work at BJI. “Relieving the stress of court from citizens and offering resources that help them makes me passionate about what I do.”

Rodney said, “Vassar students stand out because they’re used to a rigorous workload and understand the difference between theory and practice,” she said. “They are adaptable, thoughtful, and know how to push through challenges while still prioritizing self-care. Most importantly, they lead with curiosity and follow through with action. They don’t just analyze or critique—they roll up their sleeves, get involved, and offer feedback that helps improve the work.”

Intro to Criminal Law in New York City

Meanwhile, more than 15 Vassar students gained similar legal internship experience by attending cases and witnessing testimonies in the New York City Criminal Court alongside the Hon. Tamiko Amaker ’90. Grace Romano ’27, a political science major, found her internship to be eye-opening. “By observing court, I have learned how to construct a strong argument, and through our various presentations, I have learned about criminal law as well as legal writing and procedures,” Romano said.

Emily Pouzhyk ’26, an international studies major, especially enjoyed working with Judge Amaker. “When we first arrived at our internship, every single person in the building who learned that we were Judge Amaker’s interns perked up and sang praises in her name. It sounds exaggerated, but it was very much like a movie where she’s the main character: a legacy, a legend,” Pouzhyk said. “Thanks to Judge Amaker, we have a constant bridge to Vassar that makes this internship a gift that keeps on giving. I’ve made some very great friends in this program—faces I’m hoping to see more of in my senior year!”

Arman Idrees ’28, who’s an economics and political science double major and plans to become a practicing attorney, learned “to take advantage of every experience you get, even if it doesn’t seem directly related to your career. Everyone I spoke to noted that the path of being an attorney is not an easy one, but making an effort to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and explore different things is what will separate you from everyone else.”

Honing Communication Skills in the Nation’s Capital

Opportunities flowing from the Vassar network come in many forms. This year, for example, a connection made by President Elizabeth H. Bradley with ACG Advocacy, a government affairs consulting firm, led to internships for three Vassar students in Washington, DC. Charlotte Tanner-Morash ’26 interned with ACG, meeting with clients from Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations alike while assisting with consulting research and writing reports. “It’s truly the best internship I could’ve ever imagined, and if it were up to me, I would stay as long as I could,” Tanner-Morash said. “When thinking about what made this summer so special, it was that I was treated as an equal, someone with the potential to bring value to the firm and our clients.

“There were countless opportunities to improve my skillset and confidence through assignments and client-facing communications I once thought to be out of reach for an intern,” said Tanner-Morash. “I’m coming away from this internship with a strong DC network, a much deeper understanding of politics on the Hill, writing abilities that I’ll translate into a career in politics and law, and a new arsenal of people skills that I could not have picked up without being surrounded by the amazing members of ACG every day.”

Many of these students were supported by myriad summer funding resources, including the Vassar Fund for Living and Working Abroad, the Internship Grant Fund (IGF), the Harold S. Geneen Fund for Internships in Corporate Life, and others. To learn more about the many Vassar-connected summer funding opportunities available to students, see our Internship Funding page.