Beyond Barnard Internship Program
My name is Lucia, and I am a junior from Chicago, IL, studying urban studies with a specialization in public health. For the past three years, one of my favorite and most frequently leveraged resources at Barnard is our one-stop-shop for everything internship, career, and post-grad related, Beyond Barnard (which you can read about here). As someone who is not entirely sure what my post-graduate goals are, I have used internships, both over summer and throughout the semester, to gain experience in different industries and develop a better understanding of what I actually want to do. I have relied on Beyond Barnard for every application I have submitted. Whether I need a cover letter reviewed by a Peer Career Advisor, interview practice, or a chance to talk through employment offers, Beyond Barnard is available to me. I have even received funding for an unpaid internship!
During the summer between my first and second year, I worked at an incredible non-profit organization at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago called Equal Hope. The organization works to eliminate women’s health disparities by connecting underinsured or uninsured women with free preventative screenings, like mammograms and pap smears. I was thrilled by the opportunity to intern for an organization with a mission that is so important to me, however the fact that it was unpaid prevented me from initially accepting the position. It wasn’t until I learned about the Beyond Barnard Internship Program (BBIP) that I accepted the Community Health internship at Equal Hope.
The Beyond Barnard Internship Program (BBIP) awards funding to more than 200 students annually who are partaking in unpaid or low-paying internships. Additionally, BBIP includes useful programming designed to optimize the internship experience and teach important professional networking skills. I was granted $4,000 for 10 weeks of a full time internship, paid bi-weekly. This allowed me to focus solely on my Equal Hope experience, rather than splitting time with a paid part time job.
BBIP is also available for students who have an internship during the semester. I am currently applying for funding for my unpaid internship in fashion! The application process is fairly straightforward, with only a short form, cover letter, and resume needed. Additionally, you do not need to have secured an internship before applying!
As a public health student, I learned so much about the inequities in the American healthcare system and the importance of preventative screenings for detecting cancers and saving lives as an intern for Equal Hope, and Beyond Barnard made that opportunity possible for me. I definitely recommend checking out their website and learning more about all the resources they provide to students.
-Lucia Ruggiero ‘24