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DELAWARE, Ohio – Ten Ohio Wesleyan University students are spending the summer completing paid internships in Northeast Ohio – an opportunity made possible by the university’s Career Connection partnership with the Summer on the Cuyahoga program.
Ohio Wesleyan is one of only eight colleges and universities nationwide whose students are eligible for Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) internships. The program seeks to recruit talented college students and to help them explore the professional, civic, and social opportunities of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The hope is that some of them choose to return after graduation to live and work in the region.
“Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) is a great opportunity for students,” said Mindy Agin of OWU’s Career Connection office. “It offers paid internships in multiple areas, housing is free, and networking and social opportunities abound.
“Ohio Wesleyan students also gain valuable connections to the OWU Alumni Network through the involvement of our wonderful Northeast Ohio Alumni Association,” said Agin, Career Connections’ assistant director for internships and externships.
Ohio Wesleyan’s 2021 Summer on the Cuyahoga interns and their assignments are:
Mic Kreutzer, a Sociology/Anthropology and Women's and Gender Studies double-major, said she is enjoying both her internship and her exploration of the Cleveland area.
“Having a program like SOTC – where you can have a strong professional experience as well as an exciting personal one without having to worry about money to the extent you will have to post-grad – is a nice test-run for the real world,” Kreutzer said.
“I honestly can’t possibly speak more highly of the Summer on the Cuyahoga program and the experiences that I have had here,” Kreutzer said. “I love my job, the events I have gotten to attend, and, at this point, the hundreds of new, phenomenal people that I have gotten to meet.”
Dmitri Ashakih, an English and Communication double-major, said he also is learning a lot about Northeast Ohio through SOTC as well as a lot about career-ready skills from his internship and Ohio Wesleyan’s Career Connection.
“I love Cleveland because something is always changing here,” Ashakih said. “The city is full of great food, music, art, and entertainment. I admire the people here because they all have a collective desire to see Cleveland succeed. Exploring the quaint shops in Little Italy and watching the sun go down in the nearby park while eating gelato is my favorite experience so far.”
As for the help provided by Career Connection staff, Ashakih said: “They have provided me with knowledge that I never would have learned on my own like how to create a strong resume, how to write a good cover letter, and opportunities in my desired career path. Without the OWU Career Connection office, I wouldn’t have known about Summer on the Cuyahoga.”
In addition, Ashakih is benefiting from being paired with Shelli Reeves, with a 2016 OWU graduate-mentor already living and working in the Cleveland area. Reeves is a community engagement specialist with Ideastream.
Ed Lenane, Ohio Wesleyan’s associate director of regional alumni engagement, helps to connect students with alumni-mentors through SOTC and other outreach.
“Summer on the Cuyahoga is an excellent opportunity for Ohio Wesleyan students to gain meaningful summer internships in a city with such a large and passionate alumni base,” Lenane said. “Through the program, and through the support of the Northeast Ohio Alumni Chapter, the students have unique opportunities to engage and interact with professionals across numerous career fields and to see first-hand the passion Ohio Wesleyan alumni have for their alma mater and the success of the students.”
Founded in 2003, Summer on the Cuyahoga brings together between 50 and 70 students each summer from its eight partner universities, which also include Case Western Reserve University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Denison University, Oberlin College, Smith College, and University of Chicago. More than 160 SOTC interns have returned to Cleveland after graduation for jobs, graduate school, or other opportunities. Overall, 99% of former participants said they would return to Cleveland for the right opportunity or recommend the city to their peers. Learn more about the nonprofit program at www.summeronthecuyahoga.com.
Ohio Wesleyan’s Career Connection provides career development, planning, and job search assistance to students and alumni by providing resources to help connect theory and practice with meaningful career objectives and by building partnerships with faculty, staff, alumni, parents, employers, and graduate schools. The office uses individual counseling, creative programming, and technological services to help students identify and enhance networks and skills necessary to achieve career goals and to become actively engaged in a global society. Learn more at owu.edu/CareerConnection.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature program, The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at owu.edu.