Over the past year, the Mays Center has awarded $16,000 to students selected for the InternsHIP Grant (Interns Helping Invest Potential). This grant is $1,200 for undergraduate students with a minimum of 15 university credits, a 2.5 GPA and above, enrolled in an internship class, and secured an unpaid internship. This grant is awarded to applicants who apply for an internship where they can receive more hands-on experiential learning and learn more about the career they want to pursue. The grant funding supports the student financially while they are working on their internships by helping them pay for transportation, housing, food, and anything else the student may need to succeed.

 To apply for the grant, the applicants must have secured an internship for the semester and have their site supervisor's information when applying. Applications for the Fall InternsHIP Grant are open from August 21^st to September 15^th, 2023. To apply for the grant, applicants can log into Handshake and fill in the application by clicking the 'Career Center' tab and selecting the 'Experiences' section. The applicant must attach their resume, professor's contact information, supervisor's contact information from the internship, and a short essay explaining what they look forward to gaining from their internship. Writing the essay for the IntersHIP Grant application can be competitive, so it is recommended that students use the Writing, Language, and Digital Composing Center, located in Central Academic Building 208, for support.

Once an applicant has been chosen to receive the IntersHIP grant, they must attend a 30-minute internship orientation at the Mays Center. Following the orientation, the applicant must be able to maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA, display professionalism at the internship, submit a photo or video of themselves at the internship, and have a completion of 30 hours or 30 % of their internship by midterms. The applicant must also, near the end of the semester, submit a reflection essay explaining what they have learned at the internship and how it has helped them for their future career and complete a final evaluation.

Written By: Kimberly Bustos Diaz, Communications major with a minor in Sociology, Digital, and Visual Media Associate at the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement at Texas A&M University-San Antonio 

"Learning is a process that does not just happen in the classroom; meeting people from diverse cultures and making friends from all over the world are also important parts of growing up. I was able to make connections while at my internship. These people can provide guidance and advice and help me in future job searches.” - Caroline Salazar, Psychology major, Class of 2023

 

“Having all the different experiences from not just treating a specific injury but a vast majority of them exposed me to know the exercises well to where I can perform it, alter it, and give feedback if it is being performed incorrectly. All of these are ways in which I have benefited from enrolling and being in an internship that pertains to my degree, knowing if this is exactly what I want to dedicate to or if I want to pursue something different.” - Araceli Martinez, Kinesiology major, class of 2023