First College of Liberal Arts’ Internship Partners Expo creates strong student interest

The College of Liberal Arts’ Internship Partners Expo connected students with internship opportunities.

Wright State students thronged to the College of Liberal Arts’ Internship Partners Expo, where more than 40 organizations with internships to offer set up shop.

Herb Dregalla, associate dean for students and curriculum, said the students were very engaged at the expo, which was held in the Millett Hall atrium on April 12.

“I stopped down at various times and noticed that there were a large number of students who were there every time, speaking with the various companies present,” said Dregalla. “I think having all these companies and organizations here on campus and, in particular, having them in Millett attracted a good deal of excitement from our students, which showed in their attendance.”

Participating organizations included corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, museums, media groups, university departments and others.

Darci Scapatici, who represented the epluno Direct to School Apparel Division at the expo, said she plans to interview several students that she met at the event.

“I found the students to be positive, enthusiastic and prepared for getting the right kind of internship to support their field of study,” she said.

The expo was organized by the college’s Center for Liberal Arts Student Success (CLASS), an innovative and distinctive center that combines academic advising, student engagement, faculty partnerships, retention, comprehensive yet focused career development services and workforce development initiatives into one unit.

Wayne Stark, the CLASS director of workforce development, was the point person for the expo, but recognized others in CLASS who were in support and the liberal arts faculty who over the years have developed strong relationships with most of the participating internship partners.

Stark said the Internship Partners Expo was “a golden opportunity for students to make contact with a wide variety of internship partners, some of them Wright State alumni, that can show them the myriad of ways they can use their degrees, provide opportunities to test-drive professions and engage them in opportunities that may prove to be launching pads for their careers.”

Organizations participating in the expo included:

Reynolds and Reynolds, The Event Connection, Montgomery County Juvenile Court, Beavercreek Police Department, Dayton History, Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Miamisburg Police Department, 937 Digital, Olde Masters Galleria, WACO Air Museum, Fairborn-Beavercreek Victim Assistance Program, Alzheimer’s Association, Montgomery County Children Services, City of Dayton recreation program, Choice One Engineering, CareSource, Enterprise Rent A Car, Victoria’s Secret Digital, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Montgomery County Adult Probation, YWCA Dayton, WDTN-TV, American Red Cross, City of Kettering Cultural Arts, Epluno, Greater Dayton LGBT Center, Wright State Intercollegiate Athletics, Dayton Ombudsman Office, Cox Media Group, WKEF/WRGT-TV, Homefull and WYSO Public Radio.