By: Kaede Takaishi

Summer break looks a little different when you’re a Mount Union student with a goal in mind. While some students are recharging, a group of Mount Union students are gearing up to trade their lecture halls for newsrooms, stadiums, hospitals, banks, construction areas, and tech companies. This summer, these six students are stepping into internship roles that span industries, each one bringing their own ambitions, curiosity and Mount Union education into the real world.

Policy Analyst: Grace Bratko ‘27
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Political science major and legal studies and German double minor
 
Company: LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
 
Location: Cleveland, OH
 
This summer, Bratko is putting her passion for advocacy and social justice into action. As a policy research intern at LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, she is responsible for researching and tracking legislation that impacts the LGBTQ+ community, both locally and at the state and national level. Her role includes writing speeches and reports, attending community events, and helping produce educational content that keeps both the organization and public informed. “I am looking forward to having a research position and getting to meet new people who have similar interests and goals as myself,” Bratko shared. For a student with roots in the Cleveland area and an eye toward a career in social work or non-profit work, this internship feels less like a summer job and more like a first step forward the future they’re building.

Inside Sales Representative Intern: Avery Ollinger ‘27
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Sport business major and business administration and entrepreneurship double minor
 
Company: Cleveland Browns
 
Location: Berea, OH
 
Not many people can say their office comes with a stadium view. Ollinger is spending the summer learning the ins and outs of the selling process for a professional football team, such as making outbound calls, setting up client meetings, and even hosting tours of the stadium. It’s a fast-paced, high-energy environment, and that’s exactly what she signed up for.

“I’m ready to earn some more hands-on experience in a new environment, being professional football!!” she said, and the excitement is hard to miss. For a student looking to break into sports business, there’s no better classroom than the field itself.

Student Nurse: Liam Murphy ‘27
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Nursing major
 
Company: University Hospital
 
Location: Ravenna, OH
 
Murphy is stepping into one of the most demanding environments in healthcare this summer, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Shadowing a nurse preceptor on the ICU floor, he is gaining firsthand exposure to clinical care and the high-stakes decision-making that defines it. For Murphy, this isn’t just a resume line, it’s a deliberate step toward the career he’s building.

“Being able to get as much experience in the ICU as possible… I think it could get me crucial experience in the field,” he explained. With a clear goal of working on the ICU floor after graduation, this internship is shaping up to be one of the meaningful experiences of his academic journey.

Banking Intern: Carter Vandall ’26
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Accounting and finance double major and business administration minor
 
Company: First Federal Community Bank
 
Location: Dover, OH
 
Vandall is heading into his internship with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, and that might be the best possible mindset for what’s ahead. While his exact responsibilities are still taking shape, he’ll be rotating through various departments at First Federal Community Bank, gaining exposure to how a financial institution operated from the inside out.

“I have only ever gone to a bank as a customer, so I am curious to see how a bank functions from the inside,” Vandall said. That willingness to embrace the unknown and explore every corner of the experience is exactly the kind of attitude that turns an internship into something transformative.

Civil Engineering Intern: Hudson Rice ‘28
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Civil engineering major and mathematics minor
 
Company: Marous Brothers Construction
 
Location: Willoughby, OH
 
For Rice, this summer is about bridging the gap between the classroom and the construction site. Interning with Marous Brothers Construction, he’ll be learning directly from project managers (PM) and professional engineers (PE), spending time in the field to understand real-world operations, then bringing those insights back to the office. His employers are even tailoring parts of the experience to build skills the team needs most, making this a genuinely collaborative learning opportunity.

“I really want to see how the theories I learn in class pertain to real world,” Rice said. With aspirations of becoming a PM or PE someday, working alongside the people already doing that job is an invaluable head start.

Engineering Intern: Emma Pittner ‘28
 
Major(s)/minor(s): Computer engineering major and mathematics and electrical engineering double minor
 
Company: Torch Technologies
 
Location: Huntsville, AL
 
Pittner is taking her technical skills to new heights this summer as an intern in the Applied Intelligence & SE Department within the SAS Business Unit at Torch Technologies. Working under the mentorship of a software design engineer, she’ll be contributing to real projects that matter to the company, not just observing, but doing. Beyond the work itself, Pittner is embracing the full experience:

“I am looking forward to gaining new knowledge and expanding my education throughout this internship. I am also looking forward to experiencing a new state and living in a new area.” For Pittner, this summer is as much about personal growth as it is professional development. 

From advocacy work in Cleveland to software engineering in Alabama, this group of Purple Raiders proves that there’s no single path, just the one you’re willing to work toward. Their excitement, curiosity, and readiness to learn are exactly what the internship experience is all about.

If their stories sparked something in you, it might be time to start planning your own summer. Did you know that many internships can count toward academic credit at Mount Union? Students have the opportunity to earn credit through approved internship experiences, turning real-world into a meaningful part of their degree. Learn more about how Mount Union prepares students for meaningful careers through our career development resources.