UNH Today

Over two dozen UNH students are spending their summers undertaking socially- and environmentally-conscious internships through the UNH Social Innovation Internship program. Half of them are students from the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) who are bringing their energy for social innovation to the nonprofit and for-profit business worlds. Students showcased their work in a presentation today, held at Paul College.

Taryn Duncan ‘21 is a women’s studies major who interned at Koya Leadership Partners, an alumna-owned executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with nonprofits and social enterprises. Duncan said her internship gave her confidence and a way to put her passions into practice. She’s looking forward to spreading the word to other COLA students that internships can help transform frustrations and hopes about the world into concrete actions that make a positive difference in communities.

Julianna Good ‘21, a music education major, said she’d like to see more COLA students apply to the program, pointing out that students do not need to have a business background to be accepted for or succeed in social innovation internships. Good interned at the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers, an organization that addresses the lack of diversity in the nation’s teaching faculties by recruiting students of color and other scholars committed to diversity.

Nelson Thomas ‘20, a communication major and football athlete, found that he was able to successfully balance the requirements of athletics and academics with his internship at Coca Cola, where he worked on community engagement. It can be a challenge to juggle everything, he noted, but well worth it. He wants other student athletes to know that they can work internships into their schedules, too.

The Social Innovation Internship program, now in its 8th year, is run by the Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise, a joint venture of the Paul College and Carsey School. Over 50% of the program’s interns have gone on to secure jobs at which they work toward social and environmental good at the intersection of mission and business.

Learn more about this year’s interns.