The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs at Syracuse University is seeking applications for the 2024 OVMA Undergraduate Internship Award.
First launched in response to the needs of student veterans during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the award program Award has become a popular program among military-connected students seeking to fill a vital need over the Summer months. Eligible applicants have until Sunday, May 26 at midnight to apply.
The importance of internships to career placement for recent college graduates has grown significantly over the years. According to the 2022 National Association of Colleges and Employers, the conversion rate for interns to full time employees grew to 57.6 percent, the highest rate in the last five years and pre-pandemic levels. This means that the companies and organizations many college graduates are seeking out for employment are recruiting heavily from their internship pool.
“Employers choose interns based on familiarity with the individual—a known commodity. This allows them the time to assess compatibility with the team,” explains Jennifer Pluta, Director of Veteran Career Services at Syracuse University and also currently serving as a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. “Hiring someone already immersed in the work culture saves valuable onboarding time, providing the company with insights into the individual’s skillsets and avoiding potential challenges with a new hire who might not be a long-term fit.”
The undergraduate award program provides up to $5,000 in financial support per student, intended to cover the cost of one internship credit hour, or cover the cost of travel and living expenses, or both. The funding for this program comes entirely from the generosity of donors to the Military-Veteran Legacy Fund at Syracuse University.
Savion Pollard ’23, a U.S. Navy veteran and Senior with the College of Engineering and Computer Science, participated in an internship with Micron Technologies over the Summer in 2023. Savion was celebrated as Micron’s first hire in Central New York, and was Senator Chuck Schumer’s guest at the State of the Union Address in February of 2023. With the company’s production plant in Clay still under construction, Savion traveled to Virginia for his internship over the Summer to get a first-hand look at what his future might look like with Micron.
“My internship opportunity was in Virginia, but I still had a mortgage to pay at home here in Syracuse. The award helped bridge a little of that gap, as well as provided support for transportation to and from home,” Pollard says. “Internships serve a great opportunity to learn and get involved in something that may not be your final career choice, I’ve had two internships in different industries, and I’ve been able to gain insight from both.”
John Nipper ’22, G’23, a graduate student at Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs, participated in a lucrative internship opportunity with the U.S. Department of State over the Summer of 2022 thanks in part to the program. His time with the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration gave him experience working with multilateral organizations and building global partnerships to promote best practices in humanitarian response.
Having since completed his undergraduate studies and now tackling a master’s degree in international relations and public administration, Nipper has real-world experience to connect what he’s learning in the classroom.
The OVMA Undergraduate Internship Award is open to student veterans who are currently enrolled in undergraduate studies at Syracuse University and have not received the award before. The internship award is considered a need-based award issued on a first-come, first-served basis after successful completion of the application requirements. Eligible students who have questions are encouraged to contact Veteran Career Services, but otherwise are encouraged to visit the OVMA Undergraduate Internship Award webpage to find out more, and apply.