Experiences BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
HANDS-ON LEARNING BUILT IN
Learn more about the Compass Curriculum
At Wheaton, you learn by doing. Experiential learning is more than an addition to your studies. It is a fully integrated core principle of our Compass Curriculum, built into all our courses—from business and the humanities to arts and
You will also find the support to take your education beyond the classroom. Starting in your first semester, you will work with Career Navigators in our Life and Career Design Institute to plot your own path, develop professional skills and prepare
INTERNSHIP GUARANTEE
Learn more about Life and Career Design Institute
A cornerstone of our commitment to experiential learning, Wheaton guarantees a stipend of at least $3,000 for an unpaid internship, ensuring that you can apply your knowledge and skills in a real-world setting.
The Life and Career Design Institute provides expert advice to help you plan, land and prepare for internship experiences that connect with your academic interests and your post-graduation goals. On the following pages, you will read about the learning adventures of students beyond the classroom. Their experiences shed new light on their academic interests, helped to shape their plans for the future, gave them access to a network of friends and professionals and provided opportunities to test their skills beyond the classroom.
The end result: student success. Six months after graduation, 92 percent of recent graduates had either found their first job, were enrolled in graduate school, had begun a fellowship or were pursuing an experience in public service.
HEALTH AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Possible areas of study: animal behavior · bioinformatics · neuroscience · nursing · pre-medicine · psychology · public health
Intensive care
Vienna Anosike discovered an affinity for intensive care nursing during her internship at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro. Rotating through multiple units, Anosike discovered she was especially drawn to the complexity and pace of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department.
“I learned so much during my time in the ICU,” said Anosike, a nursing major. “All the nurses and doctors in intensive care were open, willing to teach and answer questions… It’s been a really good learning experience. Patients in the ICU present very complex cases. It’s a challenge, but I found that was very interesting.”
No matter the unit, however, Anosike said that she learned a great deal about how to interact with patients.
“It’s so rewarding to see someone beginning to heal,” she said. “When you meet someone for the first time, and they’re sick, they may be down, angry or depressed. When you have the same people for multiple days, you see them getting better, you get to know them and see more of their personality.”
“It’s been a really good learning experience. Patients in the ICU present very complex cases.”
–Vienna Anosike
Emergency services
An aspiring doctor, William Gan interned at Glen Oaks Volunteer Ambulance Corps, serving a neighborhood in Glen Oaks, a New York City borough of Queens.
“I’ve been an active member of the corps since my freshman year of high school. However, being such a young age in high school, I was restricted in the work and tasks I was able to perform involving patient care. As I continued my skills training this winter as a college intern, I have come to love and value patient care much more,” said Gan, a biology and public health double major.
In his role, Gan responded to 911 emergencies dispatched by the New York City Fire Department, provided basic life support for patients during emergency transports, performed complete medical and psychological assessments on patients, treated and stabilized patients using clinical knowledge and skills, and assisted the EMT or paramedic in their duties.
“Any moment where the patient is in stable condition is a ‘good’ moment. Aside from bonding with your crew members and enjoying lunch or dinner at the base when we’re not in the ambulance, it is the greatest feeling in the world when you are able to relieve the patient or better their condition,” he said.
“[I]t is the greatest feeling in the world when you are able to relieve the patient or better their condition.” –William Gan
More recent internships in health and health sciences
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Center for Community Health and Health Equity
• Flaum Eye Institute
• Marathon Physical Therapy
• Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
• Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
SCIENCES
Possible areas of study: astronomy · biochemistry · biology · chemistry · computer science · engineering · environmental science/studies · mathematics · physics · statistics
“This internship gave me a very good feel for what it’s like to work on program development every day, all day.”
–Gabriel Albernaz
Cracking the code
Gabriel Albernaz gained professional, industry-relevant skills during a summer internship with Wheaton College’s Lexomics Project, where he worked on converting a large web-based text analysis tool into installable software for researchers. The experience immersed him in real-world software development, from collaborating on a 30,000-line codebase to using industry-standard tools like GitHub for version control and teamwork.
“I’m learning how much I am driven to, and enjoy, solving problems,” said Albernaz, a bioinformatics major. “This internship gave me a very good feel for what it’s like to work on program development every day, all day.”
Working within a structured, professional team environment, Albernaz strengthened his Python programming skills and learned how large-scale software is planned, maintained, and improved over time. He also gained experience reporting progress, setting goals, and adapting code beyond classroom examples.
“I’ve learned so much about the Python programming language,” he said. “When you drop into a program that already exists and does so much, it really expands your knowledge about what you can do.”
Marine science
Ayinde Best spent 10 weeks as a summer intern for the Partnership Education Program in Woods Hole, Mass, which connects students with one of six Woods Hole scientific institutions to gain practical experience in marine and environmental science.
Best, an environmental science major with a concentration in biology, collaborated on an underwater imaging project with the help of a mentor from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
“It was so inspiring to see people who looked like me in leadership roles in the STEM field…” –Ayinde Best
The project engaged him in reviewing images of the seafloor, annotating target species—including hermit crabs and sea stars—and then using coding to plot the data for a final presentation. He also
took the class “Global Climate Change: The Ocean and Environmental Sciences.”
“Thanks to my internship, I not only got to work with scientists, but I also got to work with scientists who are people of color. It was so inspiring to see people who looked like me in leadership roles in the STEM field, and it gave me hope that I can actually make this dream of mine work,” Best said.
More recent internships in the sciences
• Brooklyn Zoo
• Fujitsu Advanced Technology Ltd.
• Massachusetts Audubon Society
• Mystic Aquarium
• NASA
• University of Porto, Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology
• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Possible areas of study: business and management · computer science · data science · economics · finance and business analysis · human resource management · international business · legal studies · marketing · math and economics · non-profit management · social entrepreneurship
Trying out with the WNBA
Paige Zimmerman spent the summer learning the realities of professional sports communications as a public relations intern with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky
The business and management major supported game-day operations, wrote and distributed recaps under tight deadlines, assisted with postgame interviews and produced player features.
“I’ve learned a lot about the pace of pro sports communication,” she said. “I’ve learned how to write quickly and accurately under deadlines, and how to craft interview questions and build trust in short time frames. Additionally, I’ve seen how much preparation goes into media access and how important it is to be organized, proactive and adaptable.”
Zimmerman credits her Wheaton education with preparing her for thriving in the fast-paced world of pro sports. “The close working relationship with the professors and smaller classes have
“I’ve learned how to write quickly and accurately under deadlines, and how to craft interview questions and build trust in short time frames.”
–Paige Zimmerman
made an enormous impact,” she said. “And this internship has made me more interested in careers in sports communications, journalism or media relations and I’m exploring what that might look like long term.”
Finding a path at Google
A summer internship with Google gave anthropology and business and management double major Andru Anderson skills and experience in thinking about how to connect with diverse audiences. It also helped him land a job with the company upon graduation.
“My project for the summer was creating a strategy that addresses the expansion of the pipeline for top talent recruitment from underrepresented backgrounds,” said Anderson, who participated in Google’s Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development program at the company headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Anderson said the internship gave him valuable insight into his abilities.
“Attending a private liberal arts institution like Wheaton College reinforces the importance of versatility and being able to carve out my own path. That’s very similar to the approach that Google takes with its employees.”
“Attending a private liberal arts institution like Wheaton College reinforces the importance of
versatility and being able to carve out my own path.”
–Andru Anderson
More recent internships in business and management
• The American Red Cross
• Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co. Ltd.
• Ernst and Young
• Freehold Real Estate LLC
• Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship Network
• Prestige Style Fashion
• Sustainable Bolivial
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Possible areas of study: creative arts management · creative writing · dance · design · English · film and new media studies · journalism studies · music · theatre design/tech · visual art
Podcast host
James Sena, who plans to work in the entertainment industry, found an ideal hands-on summer internship as a podcast host. For 16 weeks, he participated in a virtual internship at GSMC Podcast Network , a Folsom, California-based broadcast media company.
Twice per week, Sena wrote and hosted a one-hour podcast offering insight and light-hearted commentary about all things cinema.
“For every show, I researched different movies and outlined my main talking points in advance. This allowed me to not only stay organized but helped me keep track of when I should take breaks,” said Sena, a double major in film and new media studies and theatre studies
Sena, who is focusing on acting as a theatre studies major, said he tried out various tones and narrative choices to see which felt most natural and what people might enjoy the most. The internship complemented Wheaton courses, he said, including a podcast production course.
“That course actually gave me the inspiration to seek opportunities in that medium. When it came time to start recording for the GSMC Podcast Network, I would go back and review some of the critiques that I was given during class in order to create content that I’m genuinely proud of,” Sena said.
Camera skills
Oriana Camara had a busy summer of experiential learning—first, following Wheaton students on a biology course in Ecuador as a Filmmaker in Residence, and then interning with Dangerous Productions in Easton, Mass., where she worked on post-production.
Camara, a double major in film and new media studies and Hispanic studies, said she enjoyed working alongside professionals in video production.
“Dangerous Productions also provided me the opportunity to try out different cameras and equipment that I had never set my hands on before this summer,” she said.
Camara dreams of one day working as a documentarian for National Geographic.
“This internship has provided me an insight and foundation in the film industry that has helped me understand the importance of connections, hard work and commitment,” she said.
“This internship has provided me an insight and foundation in the film industry…” –Oriana Camara
More recent internships in creative industries
• Albany Symphony
• Cape Cod Repertory Theatre
• Channel 7 News / WHDH / CW56
• Circus Smirkus
• Edition Magazine
• Great Indian Noise Pictures
• Hawke Commercial Filmmaking
• HelioGraphics
• Steer Digital Media
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Possible areas of study: African, African American diaspora studies · American studies · anthropology · criminal justice · development studies · economic theory · education · ethnomusicology · international relations · political science · psychology · public health · sociology · urban studies · women’s and gender studies
Social innovation
Zoe Selman, a political science major, spent the fall semester in Boston as a city resilience fellow for Leading Cities, a nonprofit that connects startups with government agencies.
She took part in Semester in the City, a 15-week immersive program in Boston offered through Wheaton’s partnership with the College for Social Innovation. Selman was among a cohort of students getting a taste of real-world experience at cutting-edge nonprofits in the social sector. She also engaged in academic courses, including “Social Innovator’s Toolbox” and “Becoming a Problem Solver.”
A highlight of her fellowship was serving as a panelist at a major national conference alongside “PBS NewsHour” broadcast journalist Hari Sreenivasan. She also co-authored a paper with the Leading Cities Executive Director Michael Lake.
“I’ve learned about the entire world of nonprofit organizations as well as city resiliency and community outreach. I’m appreciative of every opportunity given to me. I’m lucky to be developing my professional career and making connections,” she said.
Studying children’s ethical development
Savannah Sedlock spent the summer at Boston College’s Cooperation Lab, gaining hands-on research experience that confirmed her career goals and sharpened her skills working with children. The psychology and public health major helped study how children develop ideas about cooperation and fairness, administering experiments and analyzing data while observing children’s decision-making in real time.
The internship also served as a career “test drive” for Sedlock, who plans to pursue child psychology. “I’m hoping to become a child psychologist with a specific focus on trauma,” she said. “Each child we get as a participant has their own unique way of interacting with us, the specific study they’re involved in, and the world around them, and that is incredible to see. It reinforces my desire to work with kids.”
Beyond child interaction, Sedlock built technical skills in data analysis and learned
the logistical and ethical dimensions of research, including inclusive participant recruitment. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is how to work with children in a research setting,” she said, calling the experience both formative and affirming.
More recent internships in the social sciences
• Community Harvest Project
• D.C. Rape Crisis Center
• Essex Children’s Advocacy Center
• Hopkinton High School
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund
• Sayegh & Sayegh Law
• South Shore Autism Center
• University of Oxford Language and Brain Laboratory
• Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports
• Vote Smart
• World Relief
HUMANITIES
Possible areas of study: anthropology · art history ·
Classics · Digital humanities · French studies · German studies · Greek · Hispanic studies · history · Italian studies · Jewish studies · Latin · Medieval and Renaissance studies · philosophy · religion · Russian studies · theology
Advancing the plot
Over the summer, Emily Zielinksi discovered that she is on the right track to a career in book publishing.
The creative writing major, who serves as a Wheaton peer writing tutor, landed an internship at Abrams Books, a New York City publishing house. She spent the summer as the firm’s editorial intern, reading manuscripts and proposals to evaluate storytelling and style.
“My projects involved working with my supervisors on books that will be published. It was so cool to see all the effort and steps that go into getting a story ready for people to buy and read,” Zielinski said, noting that it can be a two-year process from proposal to bookstore shelves.
Unexpectedly, she found herself gravitating to memoirs and biographies, as opposed to the novels she enjoys in her spare time.
“It’s a cool type of editing to say, ‘I understand your idea and what you want to say about your experience, and perhaps it will be more impactful if you approach the story this way.’ You’re enhancing someone’s life story, which is very rewarding.”
Museum education
Ryan Ouellette developed a passion for military history when learning about the experiences of his grandfather, who fought in World War II.
The history major deepened his knowledge of U.S. conflicts—including the Revolutionary War, the World Wars and beyond—during a summer internship at the American Heritage Museum, which is based in Stow, Mass. In his role, he educated visitors about the various military vehicles and artifacts in the museum, while ensuring the safety of guests and the collection.
“A standout moment for me was the book signing we had for Andrew Biggio’s The Rifle. The author had traveled around the country documenting the stories of the few remaining World War II veterans, and for the book signing we had 50 World War II veterans in attendance. It was a truly incredible experience to meet all these men, whose service ranged from paratroopers in Normandy, to marines on Iwo Jima, to Tuskegee Airmen, and more,” Ouellette said.
Ouellette said he is considering a career working in museums.
“Working at the museum has been absolutely eye-opening in terms of what I thought a career in history could look like. This summer was one of the single greatest times in my life, and I would absolutely love to work at a museum, maybe even this one,” he said.
“Working at the museum has been absolutely eye-opening in terms of what I thought a career in history could look like.” –Ryan Ouellette
More recent internships in the humanities
• ATC Studios
• Cape Cod National Seashore
• Destiny Rescue
• Hartford Youth Scholars
• Kenyan Scholar-Athlete Project
• Law Offices of Jason Giannetti Esq.
• School on Wheels of Massachusetts
• Villa Del Vergigno Archaeological Site and Field School
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Undergraduate
African Diaspora Studies
Animal Behavior
Art History
Art (Visual)
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Biology
Business and Management (B.S.)
Chemistry (B.S.)
Classics
Communications
Computer Science (B.S.)
Creative Arts Management
Creative Writing and Literature
Criminal Justice
Dance
Data Science
Design
Early Childhood Education
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Economics
Education
Elementary Education
Engineering
English
Environmental Science
Film and New Media Studies
Finance (B.S.)
Forensic Science (B.S.)
Global Cultures and
Languages
Global Fashion Industry
Global Literary Studies
Greek
Healthcare Management
History
Human Resource Management
International Business
International Relations
Journalism Studies
Latin
Legal Studies
Liberal Arts
Marketing (B.S.)
Mathematics
Mathematics and Computer Science
Medical Science (B.S.)
Music
Neuroscience
Nursing (B.S.N.)
Optometry
Philosophy
Physics (B.A. and B.S.)
Political Science
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Law
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Veterinary
Psychology
Public Health
Public Administration
Queer and Trans Studies
Race and Medical Humanities
Religion
Secondary Education
Statistics
Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management
Sociology
Teaching Multilingual Learners
Theatre
Transnational Cultural Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies
4+1 Master’s Programs
Earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree on an accelerated five-year schedule.
Business (M.S.), options for specialization in arts management or sustainable business
Creative Industries (M.A.), business and management, digital media and the arts
Environmental Science (M.S.), environmental research, planning, and policy
