Internships Light Pathways Toward Nonprofit, Advocacy, Education Careers
Carlisle was just one of several communities students helped strengthen while gaining experience through nonprofit, advocacy and education internships.
Learning to create change through hands-on work
Students passionate about driving social change are exploring career paths in nonprofit leadership, community organizing, advocacy and education in a variety of ways. One of them is hands-on internships, and last summer, Dickinson interns discovered a variety of ways to make a difference on campus, in their communities and far beyond.
Some students gained experience in change-making through education. Among them were Olivia Whittaker ’28 (philosophy), Andrew Culbertson ’26 (history) and Sarah Ruschak ’27 (English, history). All three interned with Dickinson’s House Divided Project, supporting the Knowledge for Freedom seminar for local high-schoolers.
Others dove into nonprofit work, tackling projects that connected them with vital initiatives in local, regional and national communities. Caroline Krauth ’26 (political science) completed an international-affairs internship with the national nonprofit Borgen Project, which advocates for legislation that provides sustainable solutions to extreme poverty.
Grant Donta-Venman ’28 (American studies) worked with the development team at the National Coalition for the Homeless—a position secured through connections Donta-Venman made as a Community Engagement Fellow. “I learned how national advocacy organizations function, how to communicate and create impact and how to innovate within a mission. But most importantly, I got a better understanding of what I want to go into and how I want to show up in that work,” Donta-Venman says.
Owen Barry ’26 (philosophy, history), Alayna Kelly '27 (Spanish & Portuguese, political science) and Ajla Salkic '27 (English)was a community-engagement and program-support intern at Hope Station, helping to prepare for the organization’s weeklong Juneteenth celebrations and other community-engagement events and multimedia projects. This work linked lessons learned in class about culture, ethics, history and sociology to lived experiences within the Carlisle community, and Barry is energized by the chance to bring what he’s learned back into the classroom and to future internships and volunteer work.
For these Dickinsonians, internships weren’t just résumé enhancements—they were powerful learning experiences that, at times, ignited new passions and possibilities for the semesters ahead and for postgraduation life.
“Internships are experiences like no other; they hold such power, meaning and learning potential,” Donta-Venman explains. “They help you both figure out what you want to do in life and give you hands-on experience that is accessible no other way.”
Asked what advice he’d give to students considering internships, Barry says passion for the work is key. “Search for an internship that excites you," he advises. "I think that focusing the search for an internship based on something that you're passionate about is a good way to find experience doing work that is meaningful while remaining open to career paths you might not otherwise have considered."
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Published October 3, 2025