This summer, enFocus welcomed a new cohort of seven graduate and 13 undergraduate students pursuing degrees in 14 disciplines ranging from economics to engineering and fashion & art to information systems and public policy to sociology. The interns represent 11 states and four countries and hail from the following colleges, Carnegie Mellon University, Hanover College, Holy Cross College, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, and Wabash College.
During the eight-week paid program, interns develop technical and project skills while working on Civic or Industry Innovation projects resulting in tangible impact in the South Bend - Elkhart Region. Each intern works on two projects: one as a lead on a consulting-like innovation project designed to assist a local organization, and one as a team member on a group research/entrepreneurship project to support an existing enFocus startup incubation or social impact initiative.
Over the past ten years, enFocus has successfully attracted and retained young professionals to the region. Individuals are drawn to enFocus for myriad reasons including the opportunity to work on entrepreneurial endeavors, make connections with community leaders, and potentially plant roots in the community in which the impactful projects they lead make a difference.
This year, a couple of insights stood out:
Rowan Mohan, a public policy and marketing major from the University of Maryland, hopes to learn more about a new community that could one day be her home. “Coming from the East Coast, I wanted to experience life in a new area of the country and come to understand issues and perspectives that felt unfamiliar to me,” said Rowan.
Interns also appreciate the ability to take on key roles on multiple projects. Branden Kohnle, a member of the University of Notre Dame’s Marching Band, studying political science and Spanish, said that “enFocus set itself apart when it became clear that interns get a lot of ownership over very meaningful projects.”
Overall, the interns shared that they want to ensure that the work they are doing creates real impact while they are developing the foundational skills for their future careers or academic pursuits.
There's so much more to learn about these new team members and the work they'll be doing this summer. Follow this blog series over the coming weeks as the enFocus interns share more of their experiences, perspectives, and the impact that they are having in the region.