Community Impact
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April 24, 2020
Internships Boost Student Success
After years of planning, UFCU and St. Edward’s University (SEU) leveraged our long-standing partnership to develop a comprehensive internship program designed to decrease the time between graduation and gainful employment. The first cohort successfully completed their internships during the summer of 2019.
On the surface, an internship program simply connects students with summer jobs. But at its best, an internship can introduce young professionals to organizations that make a difference, to leaders and individual contributors who make positive change, to the qualities and culture that make us who we are as a community.
“We want to provide pathways for students that show them this is how we succeed; this is how we connect; and this is how we serve our community.”
Jason De La Rosa, interim director of career and professional development at SEU, believes it’s all about connections: “Who better to recommend to our students for experiential learning than our own partner? UFCU — who we know to be a reputable presence in our community, who already has a significant connection point to our university. It’s very easy for us to say, this is an excellent organization who cares a lot about the students and our community.” Community is, after all, of utmost importance to SEU and UFCU.
De La Rosa believes this is a powerful takeaway for students, and he’s excited about pushing ahead. Giving students a comprehensive way to discover their best selves and uncover their ideal career path can’t happen without experiential learning and good old-fashioned interactions.
“We’re grateful to UFCU for their willingness to partner with us to create such an amazing experience for our students and for Austin. This is really about building relationships and strengthening our community,” De La Rosa said.
UFCU plans to host more interns this summer, and opportunities will extend to all of our higher education partners (The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College, Concordia University, Huston-Tillotson University, and Texas State University).
Jason De La Rosa
Interim Director of Career and Professional Development at St.
Edward’s University