BEVERLY, Mass. - The semester-long internship is one of the essential pieces of Endicott's experiential learning model which includes two 120-hour internships, a semester-long internship, and senior thesis. In essence, it gets undergraduate students career ready with a loaded resume geared towards whatever their postgraduate endeavors may be.
Two of the members of the Class of 2018 for the Gulls men's tennis program - while balancing strength and conditioning programming, captains practices, official team practice, and the start to their 2017-18 campaign - have all completed their semester-long internship. These exceptional student-athletes - Matthew Doherty (Plymouth, Mass.) and Christopher Kirkpatrick (Newburyport, Mass.) - gave us an insight into their experience working in their desired professions through our new question and answer series.
Matthew Doherty
Exercise Science
Semester-Long Internship: Athletic Evolution, Strength and Conditioning, with Scott Dugan
Previous Internships:
What inspired you to pursue an internship at this organization or what inspired you to go into the specific industry in which you are working?
The reason I choose this internship was for the hands-on access to learning. The experience you can gain from working at Athletic Evolution working with athletes of all ages and all different sports is something that not a lot of other training centers can provide.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences on the job and what did you learn?
Working with professional athletes always stands out for me, during the beginning of my internship I was able to watch Pittsburgh Penguin Conor Sheary workout. Also having the opportunity to work with the Islanders Ice Hockey teams at almost every age group has been a great learning experience for me because of how talented these kids are and how hard they train.
How did your internship help clarify your postgraduate career pursuits?
It did help me decide that I want to continue my education and go to Grad School. After graduation, I want to continue to develop my skills and work at a strength and conditioning center while in Grad School.
What advice would you give students that are either just starting the internship program at Endicott or students that will be going on semester-long internship?
Make sure you keep all the notes and information they give you because those notes and small reminders can come in huge once you are actually out in the real world.
Christopher Kirkpatrick
Sport Management
Semester-Long Internship: Racquet Club of Newburyport
Previous Internships:
What inspired you to pursue an internship at this organization or what inspired you to go into the specific industry in which you are working?
I played at the club I interned at, so I wanted to go back and do my semester-long internship at it. I want to be in the tennis industry so I thought that it would be a good place to start and learn how the industry works and gain experience.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences on the job and what did you learn?
Meeting and working the different clinics with all of the different pros and seeing how their teaching styles vary and taking that knowledge and being able to implement it when I get to teach the clinics and lessons on my own.
How did your internship help clarify your postgraduate career pursuits?
I decided that after school I would like to work in the industry but it also made me consider going to grad school in either the business or finance field.
What advice would you give students that are either just starting the internship program at Endicott or students that will be going on semester-long internship?
To make sure that you ask questions and try to involve yourself as much as possible because it's a great experience for when you get out of school and it also helps you decide what field you want to go into.
The Endicott Experience feature aims to highlight the entirety of the student-athletes' experiential learning journey throughout their academic careers. The student-athlete at Endicott is afforded the same opportunities as the general student population at the College as it relates to internships, study abroad, and postgraduate career pursuits. This philosophy mirrors the mission statement of the College which every student is encouraged to take intellectual risks, pursue scholarly and creative interests, contribute to the community, and explore diverse career paths. Read more Endicott Experience features by navigating the links below.
INTERNSHIP: Fall 2015 | 2014-15 Internships | Fall 2016 Semester-Long | Gulls "Learn By Doing" On Winter Break | 442 Student-Athletes Complete Internships During 2016-17 Academic Year
STUDY ABROAD: Studying Abroad as a Student-Athlete at Endicott | James Dwyer Focuses on Opportunities Abroad in Switzerland with Les Roches Global Hospitality | Endicott Student-Athletes Study Abroad in Asia | Holly Erbe Studies Abroad in London, Paris, Amsterdam | Andrea Courtemanche Gains New Perspectives Through Study Abroad Trip |
ACADEMICS: Emily Sharpe and Eric Owens Balance STEM and Sport at Endicott | Kendra Walters, Creating Her Own Happiness Through Art at Endicott
CAREER OUTCOMES: Internships Lead To Career Outcomes | 2015 Graduates Find Immediate Success in Job Market
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