Though still a young program, the Sage Hill Internship Program, more commonly known as SHIP, has grown over recent years.

First started by Gordon McNeill, president of Sage, the program is now run by Bethany Pitassi, assistant director of the Sage Center for Global Outreach. SHIP’s goal is to bring opportunities and real-life experiences to Sage students outside of the classroom in the form of internships. Students involved in the program also become educated on how to write a professional resume when applying for a job or position.

“[SHIP] is an opportunity for students to try different career options to see what they like. This program has so much potential and I am so excited to be taking it over this year!” said Pitassi.

Clearly excited to become more involved with SHIP and have the program more student accessible, Pitassi has altered parts of the application to make SHIP even more appealing to members of the community while also modifying the process based on the feedback she has received.

“My hope is to make SHIP more visible this year, so everyone knows what it is and everyone has an idea of what exciting opportunities are available,” commented Pitassi. “This year, I am going to shorten the online course that is required, so that it ends much closer to the time when students are making summer plans. Lastly, there will be a series of workshops that will focus on resume writing and professionalism in the workplace. While these workshops are not new, they will be enhanced based on the feedback we have received from the companies who hosted Sage Hill interns,” she said.

The process to become involved in SHIP is easier and more accessible than ever. Yet, students who experienced SHIP last year are thankful for the opportunities they have received.

“I ended up interning at a financial consulting firm, Canterbury Consulting, for seven weeks. It was a great experience,” claimed sophomore Ryan Simpson, who took part in SHIP last year.

Writing resumes appears to be very helpful for students. Providing an opportunity to learn how to write a resume and work in a specific career field, SHIP helps students pursue their interests beyond the classroom.

“The opportunity was really constructive. I feel like I really grew through my internship. […] The resume writing workshop was really helpful too,” mentions Simpson.

Another special aspect of SHIP is that it provides experiences that cannot be duplicated through classes or at school. SHIP gives students the experience of working in a certain field and discovering new passions.

“The opportunities Sage students have though this program are truly outstanding,” noted Pitassi. It has been really cool to listen to how impressed the employers have been with their Sage interns. My favorite part of the program is the opportunity I get to work with students as they start to think about their lives after Sage Hill,” she highlighted.

SHIP helps students discover careers and passions they may wish to pursue in life after high school. The experience is invaluable, especially for high school students who often have more limited internship opportunities.

“I would absolutely recommend ship, as it gives internship opportunities for all career fields and interests,” proclaims Simpson.

SHIP has already made a significant difference for many Sage Hill students. The program helps students discover where they want to be and who they wish to become as an adult after graduating from Sage Hill.