October 05, 2012
A record 1,162 St. John’s University students packed Taffner Field
House for the annual Academic Internship Fair. Co-sponsored by
St. John’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) and
the Career
Center, the event was created to introduce students to
prospective employers from across the New York metropolitan
area.
“I was delighted to see the excitement on the students’ faces when
they met with representatives from so many prestigious companies,”
said
Kathleen Vouté MacDonald, Ed.D., Dean of the College of
Professional Studies. “Our students displayed a fine level of
professionalism and excitement with the possibility of securing an
internship in their desired fields.”
This year, more than 100 employers attended the fair, including
representatives from Clear
Channel Communications, Winthrop-University Hospital,
The New
York Mets, the Office
of Senator Charles E. Schumer and the Queens Economic Development
Corporation. “The event had so many great companies in one
place,” said Khanh Nguyen ’15C. “It gave me a great opportunity to
explore so many different areas for my career development.”
Exhibitors at the event gave high marks to the students in
attendance. “They are very professional and well-prepared,” said
Terrence Buckley, Police Officer with the Suffolk
County Police Department. “They ask pertinent questions, and
they’ve all been incredibly polite, which is nice to see.”
BET Networks was so impressed
with St. John’s undergraduates that they hired four writing interns
for a new show on the spot. “Talk about instant gratification,”
said April Merenda, Director of External Affairs for CPS and
organizer of the Academic Internship Fair since 2007.
Approximately 50 students from the Staten Island campus
came to the Queens campus for the fair, and, for the first time,
freshmen and sophomores were invited to participate, too. “It’s
important that all undergraduate students be given the opportunity
to begin their academic internship search early on,” said Ms.
Merenda. “The magnitude of student opportunities like this truly
sets the University apart from other institutions.”
According to Vincent Accardi ’05CPS, Director of Corporate Sales
and Ticket Operations for Stony Brook University
Intercollegiate Athletics, the professionalism of St. John’s
students is the primary reason he looks to his alma mater for
interns. “I always try to bring St. John’s students out to Stony
Brook, even though the two schools are not in close proximity to
each other. They always give that extra effort, no matter what is
asked of them.”