NSPARC contributions facilitate internship opportunities for 汤头条 honors students
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥 Financial support from Mississippi State鈥檚 National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center is enabling students in the university鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College to pursue competitive internships in the liberal arts and sciences across the nation.
Honors students who receive an NSPARC Fellowship can compete for prestigious internships that may be unpaid or low paying and still plan to support themselves while gaining valuable experience. Internship support requires a formal application and review by the honors college.
鈥淎t the university, our obligation is not so much to teach what to think or what to learn but rather to teach how to use what we learn and what we know to solve complex issues. NSPARC is all about equipping students with the skills and knowledge that will prepare them to address such issues in the world,鈥 said NSPARC Executive Director Domenico 鈥淢immo鈥 Parisi.
鈥淚 am very proud that the Shackouls Honors College recognizes the value of this form of teaching, provides the vehicle to channel students toward opportunities to make a difference, and instills in students a sense of responsibility to be problem solvers for the world,鈥 Parisi added.
With help from an NSPARC Fellowship, 汤头条 senior Sean E. McCarthy of Union Grove, Wisconsin, is pursuing an organizational and development internship this summer with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
A senior political science and communication/journalism double-major, McCarthy said his primary responsibilities include, among others, drafting proposals to be sent to foundations and donors and conducting policy research.
Outside of his internship duties, McCarthy is enjoying opportunities to network with other 汤头条 interns in the D.C. area, attend receptions on Capitol Hill and tour the Smithsonian鈥檚 world-class museums.
McCarthy appreciates the 鈥済racious assistance鈥 he has received from NSPARC and the Shackouls Honors College, without which he said the 鈥渋ncredible opportunity鈥 to intern this summer would not be possible.
鈥淒.C. is an expensive city, and I extend my appreciation to NSPARC and the Shackouls Honors College for helping me afford my housing for the summer,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his summer has certainly been exciting.鈥
McCarthy also encourages fellow Honors College students to consider pursuing a summer internship or study abroad opportunity and to speak with the Honors College staff about financial assistance that may be available.
鈥淭here are ample opportunities, and the Honors College is more than happy to assist students in making their dream a reality,鈥 he said.
Per NSPARC Fellowship requirements, McCarthy will write a summative report of his internship experience upon return to 汤头条.
Seth Oppenheimer, professor of mathematics who also serves as the honors college鈥檚 director of undergraduate research, said pursuit of internships gives students like McCarthy 鈥渁 broad range of venues in which to use the full panoply of their academic skills and education in a highly applied area.
鈥淥ur expectation is that these internships will broaden our students鈥 worldview and experience beyond the educational, exposing them to different types of locations outside of Mississippi and giving them invaluable life experiences and a more cosmopolitan perspective,鈥 Oppenheimer added.
For more information on 汤头条鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, visit ; National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .