The Castle Rock, Colorado, native is a double major in accounting and business administration. With many family members working as accountants, the internship allowed Yost to finally see himself on that same path.

“It’s allowed me to realize that this is something I want to pursue. It has made me feel better because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and now just being there I love it,” Yost said. “My dad is an accountant and growing up it was hard for me to understand what he does, but now I have a greater appreciation for it.”

Yost spent his time managing spreadsheets, documents and reports to support coworkers and partners. While the data-heavy nature of accounting can be a challenge, Yost learned to navigate the workload by leaning into the firm’s collaborative culture.

“I’m constantly communicating with higher partners that have more experience. I learn by doing and they have taught me how to do things I have difficulty with,” Yost said.

The supportive environment at CORE CPAs proved to be a highlight for Yost.

“It makes me feel accomplished. I found something that I’m good at and that I really enjoy doing,” he said.

Yost said he’s learned many things working for this company and is excited to see where it can take him.

“I consistently work with my coworkers to figure out which tasks I can work on so I’m not idle. It’s helped me gain basic work experience and allows me to prepare for the future to help clients in the best ways possible,” Yost said.

Yost found this internship through a family member who encouraged him to apply. He received help from the �㽶��Ƶ Career Services staff that helped prepare him for the application process. He also spoke to classmates who enjoyed their internships at the same company.

In the classroom, accounting professors Carmen Van O’Linda and Dave Carpenter provided the foundation Yost needed to succeed in the field. “The things I learn in class and the assignments I do have all helped me work towards this internship and prepared me for the workload,” Yost said.

Yost plans on graduating in May 2026 and will work towards his certified public accountant (CPA) designation. He hopes to use his time at CORE CPAs to complete those requirements before taking the CPA exam.

“This will help propel my career. I find it fun and enjoyable and it allows me to connect not only with other people, but my family as well,” Yost said. “I can’t wait for my first client because I love helping people, and this is a way I can do that.”

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado

Butler, a business major and construction management minor from Hastings, spent his summer as an intern with Turner Construction. While Turner is headquartered in Omaha, Butler’s “office” was much closer to home: the construction site of The 1882, �㽶��Ƶ’s new residence hall that will open in fall 2026.

“As a student at Hastings, it was awesome to be a part of this project,” Butler said. “Seeing how a project like this will change the campus for a long time — it’s a great feeling.”

During the internship, Butler swapped his textbooks for blueprints, getting a front-row seat to the lifecycle of a major build. From studying architectural drawings to coordinating with builders on-site, he gained a high-level view of how a vision becomes a structure.

The experience wasn’t just about steel and concrete; it was about communication. Butler worked alongside veteran managers, learning how to communicate with builders and architects. He also gained experience with industry-standard management software that helps keep the project on track.

“I didn’t really know what to expect going in, but the experience was great,” said Butler, who also plays for the Broncos football team. “This internship not only solidified my interest in construction management, but it provided practical experience that will be beneficial for my entire career.”

“I go into the lab and they teach me about pH and particles and how to monitor bacteria. We also do multiple tests to make sure that the product is safe. As a quality intern, I check papers and verify with workers that they are doing their job correctly and address errors that may have been made,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos, a biology major with physics and psychology minors from Grand Island, Nebraska, said the internship taught him more about fields he is interested in and that it has helped him grow as a person.

“What I enjoy most is being able to push myself to be the best person I can be everyday. It’s also nice when my hard work gets recognized by coworkers,” said Castellanos, who is also a Scott Scholar. “Internships are like gateways to careers, so I think it’s important to give your best effort in your work because it allows you to learn and grow as a person.”

He said his work environment was very supportive and helped him when facing with challenges. He also found it rewarding when he received recognition for good work.

“I stress easily because I am a perfectionist. I’ve made some mistakes, but my peers and supervisors advised me that there is some room for error. So, it was hard adjusting to that work environment and learning how to interact with my coworkers,” Castellanos said.

Chemistry professor Dr. Neil Heckman recommended Castellanos for the internship, and �㽶��Ƶ Career Services staff helped him apply for the position. He credits �㽶��Ƶ to this opportunity and has embraced the support the community has given him.

“There’s actually people here that do care about you. The professors, the staff and really everybody here are willing to do their job to help students. There is a support system here that has really helped me not only with academics and career opportunities, but personal challenges, too,” Castellanos said.

He said a lot of people applied for the internship, so he didn’t believe he’d get it.

“Yet I did,” he said. “I think it’s because �㽶��Ƶ taught me how to be professional during my interviews and in the workplace.”

He said many of the tasks he’s been handling incorporate a lot of knowledge from classes he has taken. He also utilized Career Services staff and Dave Rippe, director of the Scott Scholars program, to learn about professionalism in the workplace.

“It was really interesting because in chemistry class, we would learn about certain things that I thought I would never use. Now, in this internship, I am,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos said he enjoyed the time learning about different fields, experiencing new things and meeting different kinds of people — and that he’s found something he enjoys doing.

While Castellanos said he’s already started to look into PhD programs in order to become a physicist, he’s keeping his mind open to other opportunities and will continue to explore his options with the help of �㽶��Ƶ.

“I found fulfillment in my work that I’ve been doing at this internship and in my classes. I feel as though I can follow my passion in a way that doesn’t drain me,” Castellanos said.

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado.

Tidyman, who is from Holdrege, Nebraska, had many duties at the zoo, including feeding, watering and cleaning up after the animals, interacting with elk, white-tailed deer, bison, black-footed ferrets, black bears, river otters and a grizzly bear.

The zoo also holds cougars, and while Tidyman had limited interactions with them because they require more seasoned zookeepers, she did choose to focus on them for an internship capstone project.

“I researched where cougars spend most of their time during the day, and then built a graphic and marked up a photo so the public would know where to look for the cats,” she said, adding that she also summarized the data and wrote a paper with her findings.

“All of the animals I interacted with had unique routines we had to follow,” Tidyman said.

For example, Tidyman said the elk routine began at 7:00 a.m. and was tedious. It’s a large exhibit that had to be raked because of the small pellets elk produce. From there, she’d move to raking and cleaning the elk barn to ensure that they would have a clean and cozy place to sleep at night.

“I learned a lot about the elk throughout my time doing the elk routine,” she said. “For example, when bull elk are in the velvet stage of antlers, their antlers are very sensitive, so the elk avoid touching their antlers to anything during this time.”

Tidyman said she loved watching the animals and learning their habits.

“My favorites to watch were the black bears because they were only a year old and played with a lot of energy,” she said.

Tidyman sought out the internship because the zoo didn’t advertise opportunities. Tidyman applied for the animal care position even though it was an unpaid position, believing instead that she may gain knowledge from the experience.

“The hours were flexible and they worked with my schedule, allowing me to also have a part-time paid job,” Tidyman said.

Tidyman said she learned a lot in her experience and wants to encourage others to apply for similar opportunities.

“It felt great caring for the animals and seeing the animals happy because of what I have accomplished,” Tidyman said.

Though zookeeping was not on Tidyman’s radar as a career, she is already looking ahead to next summer in the hope of working for another zoo.

“This experience taught me that zookeeping is definitely a career I could see myself pursuing one day,” Tidyman said.

“I’ve always been interested in understanding how people are attached to numbers. I want to be able to take and analyze data in a way that everyone can understand,” Reid said.

Reid, a junior mathematics major from Omaha, Nebraska, helps manage customer relations by organizing and using data. They work with an interface called Hubspot that helps track contact, company and service information. The goal is to collect data so they can send out audits and make sure people are billed correctly.

“We’re just trying to mitigate all the issues that come with talking to customers and how we can give them our information in a nice and cordial manner,” Reid said.

Reid found out about this internship through the Scott Scholars program at �㽶��Ƶ. Director Dave Rippe helped Reid contact the Scott Data Center in order to set up a conversation about the internship.

“I met with management twice earlier this year. The second meeting is where they gave me the offer,” Reid said. “I wrote a letter saying I wanted the job and then received an email to apply for it and got it within the same day.”

Customer relations can be difficult to handle and Reid is learning how to navigate it. Not every customer will need the same thing and Reid has been tasked to differentiate the needs of different customers. In order to do this, Reid said asking questions is very important when navigating difficult situations.

“I’ve learned to not be afraid to ask questions and that it’s okay to be uncomfortable with not knowing everything because that’s how you gain clarification,” Reid said. “It’s okay to come across as naive or inexperienced because they are going to help you because you are helping them.”

Reid has enjoyed learning about different kinds of people, collecting information and sorting data in an organized way that will allow for easy use in the future.

“I always try to look for how we can solve issues along the road, not to create problems, but to create solutions before we have a problem,” Reid said.

This internship has been an opportunity for Reid to learn more about data science, a field they are passionate about. They hope to gain leadership skills from this experience and become more comfortable with creating opportunities for themself.

“Getting these internships has been amazing and has allowed me to become more comfortable with being creative in a way I haven’t seen before, which can test the boundaries of what a company can do,” Reid said.

Reid said �㽶��Ƶ professors have influenced the skills that they have gained and have opened their eyes to various jobs that can utilize those skills. They’ve learned that this internship helps them understand things that people use everywhere, especially when it comes to businesses.

“I can put my goals and skills into anything I want to do. I don’t have to stay on one path. My professors helped train me to be applicable in many types of job fields,” Reid said.

Reid is taking an actuary exam this summer and plans on becoming an actuary after �㽶��Ƶ, although a masters in mathematics is not out of the question.

“I’m very passionate about making it accessible and understandable for everyone. If I can take my knowledge and educate people around me, we can have conversations that can include everyone, not just those who are in the mathematics field,” Reid said.

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado

Karr has always wanted to dive deeper into the business side of agriculture, and this summer’s internship, with Loup-Platte Agronomics Inc., is giving him more experience as he works toward his planned career as an agronomist.

“I’ve always wanted to pursue a business degree in agriculture so I decided to minor in agribusiness to learn more about it,” Karr said.

Karr saw this internship posted online by the company, which is based in Grand Island, Nebraska. He applied and had one interview over the phone and another in-person.

Karr spends most of his time scouting and monitoring fields so Loup-Platte Agronomics can make recommendations to help give farmers the best opportunity for the highest yields.

“We check for plant health and soil health. Every week there is something new to check: weeds, chemicals, insects and more. I’ve learned a lot of new identifications for weeds and insects,” Karr said. “This summer, I’ve been trying to learn more about all types and kinds of pests that are in the fields.”

Karr said he believes agriculture is important in many ways. He grew up around agriculture and he said it’s all he’s ever known. Agricultural communities are very important to him and he sees how vital it is for everyone and he wants to contribute.

“I grew up around agriculture so I feel like I know how to do it pretty well, but want to expand my knowledge. There is a constant and increasing demand for it. I believe it’s really important that there are good agronomists who can help farmers, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to learn and work alongside some great agronomists this summer,” Karr said.

Karr said business classes at �㽶��Ƶ helped prepare him for the internship. After he graduates, he originally planned to work for an established agriculture company, but an entrepreneurial class and his internships have him thinking about starting his own business.

“I’ve been taking a summer entrepreneurship class that got me thinking I could do this,” Karr said. “This is a private agronomy business, and my class has opened my eyes to maybe starting my own business.”

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado.

The internship, which is based in Toyohashi, Japan, is funded by the National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students (IRES). IRES allows mentors and professors to apply for grants to create a fully funded internship opportunity for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The goal for the project Lee is working on is to create a portable device with a microchip that has a sensor that can accurately detect diseases and illnesses.

Lee, who is from Los Angeles, California, studies wildlife biology at �㽶��Ƶ. She’s always been passionate about nature and the outdoors, especially animals. Although this internship focuses on human biology, Lee said she’s learned many new skills that can benefit her future.

“Just having the international experience on top of this research project will help my resume,” Lee said. “With this specific project and my interest in diseases in endangered animal species, having a device like this will be extremely helpful in animal research.”

Lee came across this internship by chance. She had friends who received an email about this opportunity that were not able to apply for it. With encouragement from her friends, she applied and got the position through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

“I really didn’t go looking, but I thought that I might as well apply. I sent in my resume and wrote a cover letter. I also had to write a statement of research interest, and then went through two interview cycles,” Lee said.

Research uses sensor to detect disease

The research focuses on creating a device that can determine diseases by using pathogens, disease-causing agents. They are working with an electronic high-tech CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) sensor. This is a national security sensor, which means it cannot leave the country. CMOS sensors are electronic microchips used to produce electrical signals from images by using fluorescent light.

“We are working on this microchip, and you can flow a sample of saliva through the channels over the sensor and it’ll show a light on a screen and that’s how you know if they have a disease or illness,” Lee said.

This internship involves training, lab work, data collection and language lessons. Lee is kept busy during the day starting at 9:00 a.m. for training and then goes into labs or lessons and tours. Evenings are open and Lee spends her time exploring the city and taking the bullet train all around Japan.

“Training usually goes for a couple of hours until lunch, and in the afternoon, if we aren’t doing a tour at a company, we go back to our office work space,” Lee said. “From there, we are brainstorming. Right now we are researching and trying to find the best design for the device; after that’s done, there will be a lot of testing in the lab.”

Internship creates opportunities

The internship has allowed Lee to experience hands-on work and set new goals for her future. She said that she wants to complete the project and be able to have a working device, even if it’s not perfect, and apply the experience to her studies at �㽶��Ƶ and beyond.

“Being able to work collaboratively internationally is a big part of what I’m hoping to accomplish. I’m hoping to engage with the culture, the language, history and daily life. Each intern is studying a different field, so I get to learn from each of them on what part of the project they specialize in,” Lee said.

Lee said that �㽶��Ƶ professors, classes, teaching techniques and the community gave her the tools and skills she needs to apply herself to this internship.

“The classes I’ve taken have required me to do a lot of research and data collection, so I’d say that’s my strong suit. �㽶��Ƶ also helps me think outside of the box and use critical thinking more,” Lee said. “Also, I’ve done a lot of collaboration at �㽶��Ƶ with the soccer team and just in group projects.”

Lee has used this opportunity to expand her knowledge, contribute towards her future and travel abroad. She plans on going to graduate school, whether that be abroad or staying in the states. She plans on using her new gained skills in her academic and career endeavors.

By Rachel Ritzmann, a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado

What happens when theories of religion, geography, modern life and nature are combined? �㽶��Ƶ students Emma Morelli and Claire Fuqua went to a five-week Summer Youth Internship (SYI) at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) this past summer to find out.

Fuqua, a sophomore wildlife biology and philosophy & religion major from Woodland Park, Colorado; and Morelli, a senior history major from Thornton, Colorado, were two of 12 students from across the country who were selected for SYI.

SYI is an internship that focuses on finding hope through spiritual practice and theological reflection in times of crisis. The participants did some community organizing and learned about how religion impacts geography and the history of Pittsburgh.

Both students were very excited about being selected and the program itself.

“It was such a wonderful opportunity,” Morelli said. “I wanted to see how different people’s experiences contrasted with mine.”

Fuqua said that her peers were by far the best part.

“It was cool to be surrounded by people who were interested in religion and science and how they worked together,” Fuqua said.

During a typical week, Monday and Tuesday mornings were dedicated to workshops, and the afternoons would be for small group discussions. Wednesdays were reserved for Tazié and exploring Pittsburgh and the rich outdoor opportunities in western Pennsylvania. Thursdays were for experimental learning at the Garfield community farms.

Each student received a notebook to write down what they had learned over the five weeks. Their goals were to talk about ecotheology, theological geography and vocation.

Fuqua and Morelli received $3,000 for full participation in the program, and their room, board and travel were covered by a stipend. They will also be eligible to apply for additional funding through the Fellowship for Contextual Ministry and Community Research program.

PTS was founded in the 1790s and is a graduate theological school of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), offering master’s and doctor of ministry degrees as well as certificate programs. SYI is offered for undergraduate students interested in religion and how it shapes our world.

The two students found out about the program from �㽶��Ƶ religion professor Dr. Dorothy Dean.

“Dr. Dean went out of her way to send me the application,” Fuqua said. “It doesn’t matter that I get accepted, it matters that they thought of me.”

By Victoria Harris, a communication studies and English double major from Houston, Texas.

“The composition of this particular painting is almost perfect. It draws your eyes from the corner across the entire painting, and the dome echoes the minty color of the light above. Even though he painted the people below with just a single dab of a brush, your brain fills in the gaps. I think it’s stunning,” said Goad, a sophomore from Gothenburg, Nebraska.

With her lifelong love of painting, academic studies in studio art and art history, and skills honed as a speech competitor, Goad was a natural fit as a summer intern at the award-winning museum and gallery in Cozad, Nebraska.

“About three years ago, I started thinking about working in the museum business, creating and curating galleries. Then, two days before I was about to leave college for the summer, an email about this internship popped up in my inbox. I thought it was the perfect opportunity,” Goad said.

Initially, Museum Executive Director Peter Osborne thought the 19-year-old might be too young for the program (previous interns were more experienced, including one from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland). Still, Osborne was impressed by Goad’s “fantastic” application essay and selected her for the position.

“After she had been here for about 10 days, we threw her to the lions and had her give tours. I can’t tell you how many visitors over the summer have told us what a great tour guide she is. She’s very poised and knowledgeable,” Osborne said. “Ally also brought her skills as an artist and a student of art history to the position.”

This story originally appeared in the 2024 HC Today.

Sharing a colorful life

Goad guided hundreds of visitors through the Robert Henri Museum, a two-story, gray building that was a hotel for travelers and Henri’s childhood home from 1879 to 1883. Henri’s father, John Cozad, a well-to-do gambler who founded the prairie town on the 100th meridian, fled Cozad after fatally shooting a local rancher during a land dispute. His family left soon after, all assuming new identities.

“Robert Henry Cozad became Robert Earl Henri. He kept that name for the rest of his life, even though his father was eventually exonerated,” Goad said.

Henri attended art school in Philadelphia and became a distinguished painter and art instructor in New York City, teaching students like Edward Hopper and George Bellows, who went on to illustrious careers.

A realist and leader of the Ashcan School of Art, Henri completed more than four thousand oil paintings. He is best known for portraits of ordinary people from different social classes and ethnicities, like the paintings “Dancing Gypsy Girl” and “Dutch Girl with Sailor Hat” that hang in the Cozad gallery.

“In my own art, I enjoy painting and drawing people. That’s probably why Robert Henri quickly became one of my favorite artists; he worked primarily in portraiture,” Goad said.

In addition to museum and gallery tours, Goad worked in the archives and wrote descriptions for an exhibit focused on the geography of where Henri painted, including places like France, Holland and New York. The exhibit will be housed in a new $3.5 million gallery scheduled to open in December.

“I trust her knowledge and her ability to do research,” Osborne said. “These descriptions need to be right because this will become the national center for Robert Henri’s legacy. We have more of his paintings on display than anywhere in the world. We’ll add another 10 or 15 in the new gallery.”

Learning to lead a nonprofit museum

When she wasn’t busy greeting visitors attracted by the Robert Henri Museum signs on Interstate 80, Goad participated in sessions with Osborne designed to immerse her in the world of museum management. Topics included nonprofit legal structure, exhibit creation, strategic planning, budgeting and bookkeeping, fundraising and collection management. She also attended a board meeting and met with nonprofit directors in the community.

Given Goad’s aptitude and passion for the profession, Osborne has invited her back as an intern next summer. Through her eyes as an artist, he wants her to analyze and create descriptions of all the paintings in the gallery. Goad is eager to start that process and explore other ideas she’s generated.

“I’d like to create a timeline of Robert Henri’s life and career,” she said.

“Next summer. You’re on it,” Osborne said.

By Judee Konen ‘85

The psychology and history and philosophy major found the internship of her dreams after reading a scientific article for class.

“I was reading a journal article on appetite, satiation and reward pathways in the brain for a class with Dr. [Nicole] Muszynski when I started looking through author names on the paper and became interested in a lab doing gut-brain axis research at KU Leuven University in Belgium,” she said.

She visited the Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Research website, found out about a summer internship position in Belgium, and then applied. A day later she received a response from the lab’s principal investigator inviting her to join the team.

Lanning’s main focus while in Leuven was aiding in a multi-year-long research study on “Mood Bugs,” which involves studying how bacteria living in the gut affect sensitivity to stress and fear response. These are two important aspects of emotional and mental responses.

A day in the lab for Lanning entailed preparing materials for testing days, centrifuging and pipetting biological samples, guiding participants through MRI scans, helping to measure stress/fear responses during the test days and more.

Throughout the summer, she experienced a new profound sense of self, both personally and professionally.

“Personally, this experience has taught me about how much I can handle. I have traveled to several countries by myself before, but it is different to move somewhere, start an internship and live in a brand new city and country all alone. It has also given me the confidence to continue pursuing my dreams and goals, even though I was initially nervous about taking on such a prestigious internship,” she said.

Professionally, Lanning said she expanded her skills in learning how to do high-level research. Being in a cutting-edge lab environment showed her how creative she will get to be someday, within the confines of doing good research, to further scientific discovery.

She said planned to take the once-in-a-lifetime experience and translate it back into her senior capstone project at �㽶��Ƶ this fall.

Lanning credits multiple faculty at �㽶��Ƶ who prepared her before and supported her during the internship.

She mentioned that Muszynski discussed the in-depth papers on the gut-brain axis with her, and Dr. Juliana Cardoso prepared her for higher-level statistical analysis. Biology professor Dr. Rhesa Ledbetter prepared her for the biological side of what she would be doing over the summer and was extremely encouraging of the internship opportunity. Richard Loutzenheiser, who is on the College’s Board of Trustees, helped her with international travel specifics, such as her visa and other accommodations.

For her senior capstone project, she said she planned to take her research experience and study how different kinds of breakfasts influence people’s food cravings and physical reactions to seeing or thinking about food, which will help her learn more about the connection between the gut and the brain.

Her ultimate goal after graduation is to complete a master’s and PhD, either in the U.S. or abroad, and eventually work as a researcher and professor.

Lanning is deeply passionate about learning and furthering scientific understanding, and eagerly anticipates sharing her curiosity and enthusiasm with future college students.

By Cecilia Velarde, a senior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado