Three West Liberty University students spent the summer working in their chosen fields while earning academic credit through a unique internship program offered by the university.  Jennifer Cessna, Erin Mellott and Jessica Crighton participated in the Washington Center Internship Program.  Working for three distinct organizations in different cities (one in a foreign country), they have jump-started their careers with an unforgettable and life-changing experience.

Jennifer Cessna, a senior business administration major specializing in accounting, banking and finance, spent her summer working for the Internal Revenue Service’s Florence, Ky. office.   It was the second time that this accomplished scholar/athlete from Fort Ashby, W.Va., received a highly coveted and fully-funded scholarship from the federal government.  During the summer of 2009 she was granted a scholarship to intern with the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Of her summer with the IRS, Cessna said, “I have had the learning experience of a lifetime.  It has helped me develop academically, professionally and personally in so many ways.  I learned things that cannot be learned in a classroom and can only be learned through experience.”

Erin Mellott, a junior social work major, spent her summer working for N Street Village, a community of empowerment and recovery for homeless and low-income women in her hometown of Washington, D.C.  The organization provides comprehensive services addressing both emergency and long-term needs to help women achieve personal stability and make gains in their housing, income, employment, mental health, physical health and addiction recovery.  Mellott worked with staff members to maintain a safe place for low-income women to access these basic services.

While engaged in her internship, she also took a course on The Congressional Arena and worked on a civic engagement project that focused on preserving public parks.  By the end of the summer, Mellott said, she was able to experience life as a social worker which reinforced her commitment to her chosen field.

Jessica Crighton, a digital media design major, spent her summer working in London for The Metropolis Group, the most successful independent recording, mastering and production company in Europe.  During her internship, she was assigned to the mastering and digital media department and worked closely with the head of design, digital media sales manager, producers, designers and marketing personnel. The junior from Chester, W.Va., said the combination of her love of music graphic design skills made this internship the perfect fit.  In addition to her internship she studied London and British history and made the most of her experiences abroad by traveling extensively to Wales, Scotland and Paris.

“My eyes have been open to a new way of thinking about life, learning and business in the unique way studying abroad allows.  I leave London as a changed person.  I leave London with knowledge, inspiration, experience and new goals for my future,” Crighton said.

Beverly Burke, WLU’s campus liaison to the Washington Center, added, “These students spent 10 intensive weeks living and learning in a working environment in their chosen fields.  This was a summer of exploration and learning, a summer that may have transformed their lives in ways they never expected.”

For more information on the internship program, contact Beverly Burke, campus liaison to the Washington Center at (304)336-8004 or by email at burkebev@westliberty.edu.