Kinkaid students and alumni connected through internships that guided Falcons toward their desired careers this past summer.
For senior Camron Baldwin, that meant interning with Vinson & Elkins — specifically alongside the firm’s event planning team. Baldwin sat in on meetings and participated in site-checks where he inspected the venues where the firm planned to host events.
For sophomore Lindsey Morgan and senior Wills Leighton, that meant interning with Hines, a real estate company. For them, an average day included sitting in on meetings like Baldwin but also learning about different types of real estate, from office spaces to industrial sites to apartments.
The summer of 2023 was Kinkaid’s first time offering official internships to rising seniors in a program primarily organized by Kinkaid’s Alumni Board Committee.
Emily Dominque, alumni activities manager, said the chair of the committee, Mr. Palmer Letzerich, ‘90, was one of the main drivers for the program.
Dominique said Mr. Letzerich and others had worked to connect students with internships on a less formal basis. For example, Morgan started her internship through a family connection. This year, Letzerich decided to take his idea for a widespread summer internship program for students to the Alumni Board Committee.
“We have an active alumni community that wants to give back to our students,” Dominque said. “When I asked them what they wanted to do, the No. 1 thing they told me was that they want to interact with students.”
Dominique explained that many alumni wished they had opportunities to get more hands-on experience because their internships during Interim Term were pivotal in their future careers.
Students who participated in the new summer internships this past summer also shared the sentiment that gaining firsthand experience in the field informed them on their career choices.
“I’m still not exactly sure what I want to do in college, so I wanted to try something new…I think it’s a good chance to learn about different industries, which will probably help you when you’re looking to apply to college or when you’re looking to find a job in the future,” said Leighton, who worked for the real estate company.
Leighton and other students at Hines got the chance to learn about current developments in the real estate market and what they mean for the industry — topics that would not typically be covered in a classroom.
The internships typically lasted a week under the mentorship of a host.
“We hope that if they really enjoy the experience, they might be willing to take a longer internship in January. It’s really an entry point,” Dominique said.
