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Columbia College is pleased to announce the Alumni and Parent Internship Fund for summer 2013. The Alumni and Parent Internship Fund (APIF) is specifically designed to encourage Columbia College students to accept a quality unpaid internship which would foster their career exploration and build upon their academic studies, while alleviating some of the financial burden associated with unpaid internships.

Eligibility

Currently registered Columbia College students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:

• A rising junior or senior in good standing with at least a 3.0 G.P.A.
• A recipient of Columbia grant-based financial aid. If you are unsure if you receive grant-based financial aid, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid & Educational Financing.
• Secured an unpaid internship for summer 2013 prior to the application deadline.

Applicants who do not meet these criteria and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note, by submitting an application, you authorize the Center for Career Education to conduct academic, disciplinary and financial aid checks to confirm program eligibility and inform funding decisions. Certain University policy violations may disqualify you from consideration for the APIF program.

Deadline

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm.

How to Apply

Application Timeline

Friday, February 1, 2013
APIF Committee begins accepting applications.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Application deadline - all applications for the Alumni and Parent Internship Fund 2013 program must be submitted through the online APIF application and supporting documents must be submitted in full to Lionshare by 11:59 pm. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

April 24 - 26, 2013
Applications will be reviewed by the Alumni and Parent Internship Fund Committee. 

Week of April 29, 2013
Applicants will be notified of their status in the program (accepted or declined). 

About the Fund

The Alumni and Parent Internship Fund has limited availability, and the application process is highly selective. The fund has been made possible thanks to the generosity of Columbia College alumni/ae and parents who desire to foster students' participation in internships. They include:

• Class of 1954 Internship Stipend Fund - to provide support for one or more rising juniors or seniors with unpaid internships; preference for an internship in government or not-for-profit industries.
• Herman Family Foundation Internship - to provide support for a College junior (rising senior) for use in the summer following the academic year to hold an unpaid summer internship in the public sector. Preference will be given to an applicant who receives financial aid that requires summer savings from a job as part of his or her financial aid package with a preference given to a student who plans to pursue an internship overseas that is not affiliated with any religious organization.
• Linder (Harold F.) Summer Internship Fund - to assist College students in obtaining unpaid positions with companies where College alumni are employed. Students are not responsible for determining if alumni are present at internship sites - this responsibility will fall to the College.
• The Roger Lehecka Internship Fund - to be used for an undergraduate holding an unpaid internship; preference for juniors (rising seniors) who receive financial aid that require summer savings from a job as part of a financial aid package; preference for those with greatest financial need with a summer opportunity that will make the greatest difference to their life plans, and with demonstrated ability to use the opportunities wisely.
• Clark Tandon Family Fund - to support summer internships with a preference for students who have an interest in creative writing.
• Other Alumni and Parent Support - to assist College students holding unpaid summer internships.

About the Program

Columbia College students selected as Alumni and Parent Internship Fund grant recipients must commit to the following:

• Professional Development Workshop & Dinner(May 8, 2013; 5 - 6:30 pm)
  This "Internship Success" workshop will help students learn important skills and tips to succeed in their internships including how to initiate internship projects and responsibilities, work on a team, communicate with their supervisor and network.

• Reflection Session(September 6, 2013; 2 - 3:30 pm)
  Students will participate in an interactive workshop to learn effective ways to communicate their internship experience to potential employers.

• Formal reflection (due September 6, 2013)
  Students will write a thank you letter/reflective essay to their Alumni and Parent Internship Fund donor(s). 

• Budget reconciliation (due September 6, 2013)
  Students must submit a completed budget reconciliation detailing their summer expenses. 

If you are unable to fully commit to all these events, please describe why you cannot commit to an event on your application in the essay section on "Commitment." You will still be considered for the program.   

Student Experiences

	Michael Adame, CC 2013 Internship: American Civil Liberties Union‐ Immigrants' Rights Project Michael, a double major in Political Science and Latin American and Iberian Studies, is interning in New York City with the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project. In the past, Michael interned at local government offices in his home state of California. While studying abroad in Argentina last year, he interned at Fundación Leer, a nonprofit working to reform the Argentine education system. Michael will be a Resident Advisor in Broadway next year in addition to continuing his work‐study employment at Columbia’s Undergraduate Office of Financial Aid.
	Sarah Chang, CC 2014 Internship: Honest Buildings Sarah is from Indiana and is currently a sophomore at Columbia University majoring in Sustainable Development with a concentration in Business Management. She will be interning this summer at Honest Buildings, a NY tech startup focused on sustainability and reducing energy usage in New York City buildings. At Columbia, Sarah is involved with Columbia Eco‐Reps, a student environmental group promoting sustainability awareness on campus, and also serves on the Executive Board of Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs. As a recipient of the 2011 Global Fellows for Sustainable Development scholarship, she will also be participating in Columbia’s Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE‐U) Program in Punta, Cana, Dominican Republic for the remainder of the summer. Next year, Sarah will be continuing her studies abroad at Oxford University as part of Columbia’s Oxbridge Scholars Program to gain an international perspective on issues of sustainable development.
	Lena Rogow, CC 2014 Internship: Artes de México Lena is a rising junior at Columbia College, majoring in Hispanic Studies with concentrations in Psychology and Linguistics. On campus, Lena is involved in the theater community, directing and acting in studentwritten one‐acts for the Latenite Anthology and acting, stage managing, and assistant producing for King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe. This summer Lena will be interning at Artes de México, a renowned art magazine in Mexico City. Despite her interest in Hispanic Studies, this will be Lena’s first time in a Spanish‐speaking country and she is very excited to experience Hispanic culture firsthand both through her internship and through her travels through Mexico.

Sample of Past Recipient Internship Organizations