DU Program Expands Access to Career-Building Internships

Each year, around 4 million students head to workplaces across the country, eager to gain hands-on experience, build professional networks, and learn from mentors. But for nearly half of them, that opportunity means weighing today’s financial needs against tomorrow’s career opportunities. At the University of Denver, a unique program is helping to change that. 

The Summer Internship Award Program offered by DU’s Burwell Center for Career Achievement provides stipends to students participating in unpaid internships. In April, undergraduate students can apply for the awards, with stipends ranging from $2,500 to $3,500. This year, the program supported 72 internships. 

In the six years that Sarabeth Wolbrom, associate director of career and professional development, has led the program, she’s received a lot of positive feedback.

“We’ve heard that students wouldn’t be able to complete an internship without this program or they wouldn’t be able to pay for housing, food, or rent. This helps them pursue experiential learning experiences without worrying about financial burden,” Wolbrom says. 

For Sophie Patten-Ostergard, a public policy and socio-legal studies major who graduated in June, getting a stipend made it possible to pursue internships that otherwise would have been out of reach. During her time at DU, Patten-Ostergard received a stipend for her internships at the Korey Wise Innocence Project and the Colorado State Senate.

Her internships gave her not only clarity about her career path but also the hands-on experience that helped her land a full-time role as a client advocate fellow with the Delaware Office of Defense Services. 

“My internships are what made me successful. They made me better in classes. My classmates learned from my experiences, and when they did internships, I was able to learn from them, too,” Patten-Ostergard says. 

Experiential, multidimensional learning is a cornerstone of DU’s 4D Experience, helping students grow academically, professionally, and personally. The Summer Internship Award Program helps more students engage in that mission.

“These internships change the trajectory for students. It’s imperative to their success,” says Wolbrom. “Without this experience, they wouldn’t be able to get clarity. This helps change their lives.”