Kendall Campus Launches Micro-Internship Program
Kendall Campus launched a micro-internship program on Jan. 4 to help students kick-start their professional careers.
Participants have completed four-week unpaid internships with local businesses such as Amerant Bank, Caremax, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, BIA Studio, and nonprofit organizations like FCC USA, MCCJ, Uplift Literacy, and Easterseals.
“It’s a brand-new concept,” said Kendall Campus President Anthony Cruz. “The goal is to increase student retention and persistence by giving students an experience they wouldn’t have this early in their academic careers.”
The program’s first cohort began this spring with 25 students who registered for the Principles of Business course at Kendall Campus. They were required to commit 25 hours a week to the business they were assigned to.
To participate, employers select students to intern in different departments such as sales, marketing, human resources and compliance. Internship schedules are created on an individual basis to avoid conflicts with classes.
Caremax, a company that refers preliminary care physicians to older populations, is currently working with five students in human resources, marketing and sales.
Caitlin Collado, a dual enrollment student who aspires to work in healthcare administration, is an intern in Caremax’s department of human experience. She’s been working on a client journey mapping project that examines customer satisfaction.
“I am very pleased with this experience,” Collado said. “The staff and management in the department are wonderful and passionate.”
One of Collado’s peers, Carlos Pulido, was placed in the marketing department. He is helping redesign and improve Caremax’s website and search engine optimization.
“This has been a great experience all around,” said Pulido, a first-year business administration student. “I feel like by the time the internship ends, I will have a lot more knowledge in the whole marketing field.”
Alfonso Borges, a first-year business administration student, is interning in the marketing department at EasterSeals—a non-profit organization that works to improve local access to healthcare, education and employment for people with disabilities.
“I had the opportunity to experience how marketing works in companies in such a short period of time,” Borges said. “This internship allowed me to connect with professionals and network.”
Upon completing the four-week program, students will write a reflection paper to share what they learned.
Cruz hopes that after students complete the internships, they are hired by the companies or transition into do a paid internship. Kendall Campus hopes to add eight more employers to the program in the fall and offer a second cohort.
I have a lot of confidence that all our students are going to do very well,” Cruz said. “I think they’re all going to [have] a great experience.”
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