Denison University announces a partnership with the Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) internship program, which is open only to a small group of select institutions, including Colgate, Cornell and Yale universities. The program brings together 50 to 70 students for an intensive summer immersion program designed to help interns explore the professional, civic and social offerings of the Cleveland area. SOTC offers students challenging internships, community introductions, alumni connections and group housing for the summer.
“The program is an excellent fit for Denison students,” says Kathleen Powell, director of Denison’s Career Exploration and Development Office. “The range of employers covers many work streams, which corresponds naturally to a liberal arts education. The residential program provides our students a living, learning environment and the opportunity to build networks across institutional landscapes.”
The foundations of the SOTC program are high-quality, 8-to-10 week summer internships with private, nonprofit and public companies. The program offers a wide range of positions to showcase the diversity of employment opportunities in Northeast Ohio. A few of SOTC’s past employers include BioEnterprise, Cuyahoga Community College, DDR Corp., JumpStart, KeyBank, and Lubrizol. New employer opportunities are offered each year.
“From the perspective of my nearly 30-year career in career development at higher education institutions, I have found that for many, a liberal arts degree is the best preparation for a life of change, transition and career readiness,” says Powell. “Opportunities like this one with the SOTC program are another reason the liberal arts provides such a strong foundation for future employment.”
Acceptance into SOTC requires that each institution have alumni representation on the board as well as provide alumni volunteers to acclimate the students to the area. “Our alumni have already engaged with SOTC and are excited to work with students from their alma mater,” says Powell. “I believe this support speaks volumes about the kind of individuals that graduate from Denison, as well as their commitment to the college and their community.”