The Power of Paid Internships

#GivingTuesday is one of the most visible ways for the college’s departments, institutes, centers, and programs to promote their scholarship to alums and friends. Just as importantly, #GivingTuesday raises vital support for these crucial initiatives that provide our students with the resources and hands-on experience they need to succeed.

In 2016, what is now the Brooklyn College Career Center signed on as the college’s first #GivingTuesday campus partner. The goal was to raise awareness and support for the center’s Internship Stipend Program. A priority of the college, the stipends offset expenses while a student gains the practical and professional experience that only an internship can provide. Thanks to our alums’ support of this vital program, Brooklyn College is included in the 32% of schools nationwide that offer internship stipends to its students.

Sunny Chang ’19, an alumna of the Murray Koppelman School of Business, says the financial support she received was impactful in many ways.

“The internship stipend allowed me to be independent and empowered. It also offered some financial peace of mind because my parents were also paying for my brother’s college tuition,” says Chang.

She gained hands-on experience at the Office of the New York City Comptroller and learned how city government works and how managers prioritize and work through projects in real time. Chang believes internships are essential. She notes that her internship enabled her to develop her reputation and build relationships with established professionals who would later go on to vouch for her work ethic and character as she progressed in her studies and career. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in applied analytics from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.

Chang is just one of the many students that the career center supports through its comprehensive programs. Since 2016, it has provided approximately 350 stipends totaling more than $600,000 to help students navigate the transition from student to their chosen careers.

Chang says she is looking forward to helping others in the future.

“I would like to make a difference. If I can help one person, that is good enough. For example, internally, I would like to be able to help my team and the company I work for. Externally, I would like to support outside organizations like the career center.”

On Tuesday, November 30, show your college pride by participating in #GivingTuesday. Brooklyn College is a living community that relies on your partnership to keep our students on track and on their road to graduation and success.