Experiential Learning

Eastern Student Selected for Competitive Internship
Evan Walsh, a junior communication major, was offered a summer internship with The Ohio State University's Mentorship Initiative for Student Life (MISL) Program. Walsh is one of only eight students nationwide selected for the MISL Program, which is intended for aspiring student affairs professionals. The MISL Program is an eight-week immersion experience during which paid interns live on campus as a cohort and participate in a number of academic and professional responsibilities.

"Ricky" Magner's Stellar Year in Mathematics!
Richard "Ricky" Magner, a senior studying mathematics, is Eastern's first Undergraduate Research Fellow. The research fellowship program provided Magner with a stipend and the opportunity to conduct Number Theory research-which he's been doing alongside Mathematics Professor Mizan Khan. During their research, Magner and Khan solved a unique problem in the field of Number Theory-constituting a mathematical discovery. Their discovery was published in Volume 14 of the electronic journal INTEGERS. Magner also received an Honorable Mention from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The Goldwater Scholarship program was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. The program recognizes undergraduate students who demonstrate the potential to make significant research contributions in their future careers.

Psychology Major Eric Cereno Shines-from National Conference to NSF Fellowship
Eric Cerino '14 of Stratford, a psychology major at Eastern, presented his research project, "Investigating Subjective Age, Level of Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults," at the 18th Annual Posters on the Hill Conference in Washington, D.C. on April 28-29. Capping off his Eastern career and launching his doctoral program, Cerino was the recipient of a highly competitive fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The fellowship, titled the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), includes a $30,000 stipend that covers tuition and supports direct research costs during the first 12 months of his Ph.D. program at Oregon State University.

Cigna continued to be the primary client in Eastern's Work Hub, an on-campus work center where computer science and business information systems students apply theory to practice while working in paid internships for global healthcare provider. Since 2011, Eastern has been one of Cigna's Technology Early Career Development Program sites, with many of Eastern's interns moving into full-time jobs at Cigna after graduation.

Kelsey Hallock's internship as a care coordinator at Community Health Resources fulfilled a requirement for her minor in criminology. She worked alongside her supervisor as a communication liaison between the courts, probation, or other referral sources, updating client information on urinalyses, breathalyzer screens, and psychotherapy or group therapies attended by clients. Her internship also included activities like verifying, processing, and forwarding client discharges. Hallock also shadowed group therapies dealing with different areas of behavioral health. Her internship supported her career aspirations to become adult probation officer.

While interning in the Office of Alumni Affairs as an event planning intern, Rosheka Gray planned alumni and network events on and off campus, created fliers, handled vendor transactions and more. Gray said that being the treasurer of the African Club and president of the West Indian Society gave her the skills needed to plan events, execute tasks and collaborate with others. "Whether you need an internship or not, everyone should pursue one," said Gray. "They are stepping stones to your future."

Visual Arts major Colleen King completed a co-op at Image Marketing Solutions in fall 2013.

During her time at Image Marketing, King helped create approximately 40 advertisements for Southington's Chamber of Commerce book. She also designed invitations for various companies.