Summer Internships “Uncanceled” thanks to Ad/PR professor

When Covid-19 hit, PR and ad agencies shut down internships left and right, leaving many Ad PR students without essential summer experience. Rebecca Rivera, Ad PR adjunct professor, went into action. “Standing by while students’ summer internships were cut was simply not an option,” she reflected.  So, she created Save The Internships NY (STI).   Her goal: to hold the industry to its promise to hire talented, diverse and inclusive young students – starting with summer virtual paid internships for CCNY students. All STI internships pay students at least $15/hour. Interns receive real-world experience, mentorship, and build their industry contacts.

Step one was to reach out to MCA Ad PR faculty to ask them to nominate competitive students to be showcased on the STI website. Almost three quarters of those currently featured on the STI site are CCNY Ad/PR, BIC students and recent grads.  

Step two was to create visibility and put a human face on the problem. On the Save The Internships NY site, agency employers can browse the profiles of more than 50 students and hire them for summer and fall virtual paid internships and entry-level jobs.  So far eight students have been hired, including Ad PR students Leanna Pham and Syed Rahman, and CCNY business major Stephen Hewitt. Genesis Flores, who was also featured on the site, networked separately to a paid internship. More hires are on the way.

Interested students can still sign up for fall internships: To be showcased on the site, students must:

• Have a minimum 2.5 GPA

• Have completed at least two semesters in the Ad PR major

• Demonstrate they are responsible and proactive

• Have current class-related portfolio samples

• Be nominated by an Ad PR faculty member

Students currently on the site are still being placed in summer internships. The STI initiative will continue indefinitely, with a new cohort of interns being placed this fall. Check out the STI site to learn more.

Students hired include: Annabelle Aphanou, Sohee Cho, Genesis Flores, Jose Fresan, Stephen Hewitt, Leanna Pham, Syed Rahman, and Hoa Vu. More hires are on the way.