During Winterim, students have the opportunity to intern at a for-profit or non-profit business. Internships provide students with firsthand experience in the skills that they will need in order to be successful in a potential career and beyond. This valuable experience often informs the decisions that students make as they look ahead towards college. It also gives them exposure to professional mentors who are doing what they may want to do later in life. But don’t just take our word for it—hear directly from our students as they share what they learned.
Ela '22
Internship: Chicago Equine Medical Center
Ela assisted veterinarians and vet-techs, observing lameness exams, treating soreness, and performing radiographs and ultrasounds on horses.
The doctors and technicians at Chicago Equine Center were extremely willing to share their knowledge with me and let me try out different aspects of their job. The staff members went above and beyond to help me learn to identify problems with a horse, as well as how to go about treating those problems. I feel better equipped for pre-vet undergraduate school and even veterinary school because of this experience.
Jakob '24
Internship: Barrington Police Department
Jakob joined officers on patrol, shadowed police detectives, and assisted with administrative work.
From traffic stops, to eventful arrests, to working in the offices, it was a joy to observe the day-to-day workings of the criminal justice system and law enforcement. My internship taught me that there is a big difference between Hollywood’s portrayal of cops and the reality of the job. I loved every second of these two weeks!
Samantha '22
Internship: Re:new Project
Samantha interned at Re:new, a non-profit that creates business opportunities for refugee women. Samantha assisted with general operations and financial management at the project’s storefront.
During my internship at Re:new, I learned a lot about money management and the financial side of running a small non-profit. I learned to use different websites like Quickbooks, which runs payroll, income, and checks; eTapestry, which runs donations by check; and Blackbaud, which runs donations that come through online. I’m interested in careers like forensic accounting and jobs involving bank fraud or check fraud, so I found the financial aspect of the internship very interesting!
Josh '23
Internship: Illinois Aviation Academy
During his internship at the Illinois Aviation Academy, Josh earned his commercial drone pilot’s license, performed tasks around the hangar, and learned to pre-flight Cessna planes.
My internship at IAA solidified my interest in the aviation industry. Before this internship, I was afraid to touch anything on an airplane, but my pre-flight experiences really broke the ice. I also had the opportunity to interact with a lot of people who are doing what I want to do. I talked to many professionals in the aviation industry who were able to give me tips and tricks on how to succeed.
Harlow '23
Internship: HYH Group, Vietnam
Harlow worked as a legal assistant at HYH Group in Vietnam. She researched business law and translated legal documents and reports from Vietnamese to English to share with the company’s foreign partners and investors.
I hope to open up my own business one day in the future. Learning business-law is a small but important part of the path to a successful start up. If I aim to work in Vietnam, translating from Vietnamese to English and vice versa is another essential skill. During my internship, I had the opportunity to hone my translation skills. I cannot describe how grateful I am to have this opportunity to learn more about business law and administration.
Joshua & Caleb '23
Internship: Millennium Corporation
During their internship, brothers Caleb and Joshua worked with Red Team operators to identify vulnerabilities in their customers’ security systems. The brothers also took an apprentice course in cyber-security as a part of their internship.
My favorite part of this internship was the cobalt strike. It was exciting to work my way up through system persistence to identify a person who was leaking sensitive information—and even be able to see see the financial records that they were leaking. My goal for the future is to get a major in computer science and a minor in cyber security. I know that because of the steps I am taking now, I will be well prepared for my future career path.
Elle '23
Internship: The Chosen
Elle interned on the set of the show “The Chosen” during filming for season two. She worked with the Behind the Scenes team (BTS) to create content for BTS recaps and the show’s social media accounts.
I experienced a fantastic environment, working with actors, crew members, and the BTS team to create video content for our social media and live stream channels. It has been amazing to see God working through this show over the past couple of years, so I was glad to be able to help out behind the scenes!
Trevor '21
Internship: Alpha POS
From cold calls and door-to-door sales to writing blogs and directing social media campaigns, Trevor gained valuable experience in marketing and proved himself so valuable that he was even offered a part-time job.
Working at a small company like Alpha was an incredible experience. I was given space to learn, tasks that provided value to the company, and input to share my insights into how I could help grow the brand. And fortunately for myself, the CEO appreciated my initiative and decided to hire me part-time after I completed my internship. I’m incredibly grateful to be able to launch my professional career this young while simultaneously helping a company grow from the ground up.
The quotes and stories above represent just a handful out of the 160 internship experiences this Winterim. We are so grateful to all of the business who chose to partner with our students during the past two weeks. These invaluable experiences help students to identify ways that God may be calling them to use their talents to build His kingdom.