What is one of the best ways to break into your chosen career field? An internship — a culminating experience at a work site with a qualified professional mentor.

Appalachian State University emphasizes experiential learning as a core component of classroom-based learning. The skills students gain in an applied learning experience with an employer prepare them for success when they land their first job out of college or are accepted into graduate school.

Below are a few examples of how App State students have found, applied for and succeeded in their internships.

Intern profiles

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  Gracie Bullington ’23

  Gracie Bullington found the “magic of teaching” through an internship, she said, adding, “As soon as I began my education courses and had the opportunity to participate in some amazing discussions and internships, I knew that I had made the right choice.” Bullington, who earned her bachelor’s degree in history/social studies education from App State in 2023, was named the 2023–24 App State Student Teacher of the Year. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in history with a concentration in teaching through App State’s Accelerated Master’s program.

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  Nick Campany
  Carson Scott

  Senior Nick Campany and junior Carson Scott — both biology majors with a concentration in ecology, evolution and environmental biology — completed internships for nonprofit ACleanWilsonCreek.org in summer 2022, collecting and evaluating wildlife and providing hands-on cleanup service and conservation education along a 15-mile stretch of Wilson Creek.

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  Carter Blue ’20

  Blue, who graduated summa cum laude from App State in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in sociology-social inequities and a minor in Spanish, was hired by OASIS after completing an internship there.

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  SECU Internships

  20 App State students took part in the State Employees’ Credit Union Public Fellows Internship Program in 2023, developing their professional skills by working with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies.

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  Alexis Lexie’ Farr ’22

  Alexis ‘Lexie’ Farr completed an eight-week internship working in the Quality and Risk Department at UNC Health Caldwell in Lenoir, which helped pave the way for her current position and first job out of college.

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  SECU Internships

  16 App State students develop professional skills through SECU Foundation internships.

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  Julianna Roupas ’21

  Julianna Roupas ’21 wrote her own ticket for her journey to medical school with a self-designed major at Appalachian State University.

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  Tanner Wilson ’21
  Caitlyn Brewer
  Lauren Anderson ’21
  Julianna Roupas ’21
  Jakin Rohlinger
  Meghan Smart ’21

  Local nonprofit agency Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina employs about a dozen App State interns each semester, providing these students with practical experience and a chance to make a difference in the lives of others.

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  Emily Hatem ’19

  Sociology major Emily Hatem ’19 completed internships at two nonprofits: Western Youth Network and F.A.R.M. Cafe — both of which gave her a broader understanding of social issues, she said.

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  Mary Carver Deal

  As part of her internship with Appalachian Brian Estates, senior Mary Carver Deal engages the facility’s older adults in a colorful mural project — one taking shape right outside their windows.

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  Justin Marks

  Senior Justin Marks’ fundraising internship at F.A.R.M. Cafe in Boone supports his studies in sustainable development major with a concentration in community, regional and global development.

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  Denise Presnell ’93 ’17

  Denise Presnell ’93 ’17 received a challenging assignment while interning at Western Youth Network (WYN): Transform Watauga County into a trauma-informed community. The conference she created is now an annual event that draws hundreds of people.

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  Alex Young

  Appalachian is in the top 100 schools Disney partners with for its Disney College Program internships. Read about Alex Young’s experience.

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  Sarah Caudill

  Through a highly competitive process, Sarah Caudill was selected to intern in summer 2019 at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Office of Academic Exchanges.

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  Logan DiFranco

  The highly competitive paid internship at Spark Foundry advertising agency has made Logan DiFranco more self-assured and excited about her prospects after graduation, she said.

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  Caroline Davis ’16 ’19

  A summer internship at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country helped prepare Caroline Davis ’16 ’19 for her full-time job at Boone’s Western Youth Network.

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  Jenny Ly

  During her summer internship at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. in Ohio, Ly helped build an app that allows Nationwide employees to search for and select consumer data for processing. She also was trained in the Agile framework.

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  Andy Mendoza

  Cellular/molecular biology major and ACCESS Scholar Andy Mendoza is using the research chops he’s gained at Appalachian as a biostatistics and computational biology intern at the National Institute of Environmental Sciences in Research Triangle Park.

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  Grace King

  Grace King of Dunn was one of 50 students chosen nationally for the Television Academy Foundation’s 2019 Internship Program. She worked in the comedy scriptwriting department at ABC Entertainment in Burbank, California.

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  Ryan Dozer

  Professional experiences from Boone to New York City — including working in Appalachian’s Robert F. Gilley Recording Studio and interning at audio postproduction studio Big Yellow Duck — prepare junior Ryan Dozer for success in the music industry.

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  Jake Haire

  Appalachian’s Jake Haire has been selected for a summer 2019 internship with construction management/consulting firm KMI International.

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  Cala Castleberry ’17
  Hayley Wynn ’17

  Back-to-back National Park Service internships after graduation give anthropology alumnae Cala Castleberry and Hayley Wynn a chance to apply their skills while gaining additional experience before graduate school.

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  Staci Hunter ’18

  As part of her SECU Public Service Fellow Internship, Staci Hunter ’18 — a recent graduate of Appalachian’s criminal justice program — interned at the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office during spring 2018.

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  Carmen Lowe ’15 ’16

  An internship with SBI leads Carmen Lowe ’15 ’16 into a law enforcement career.

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  Jordan Boles

  After interning with the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization, Jordan Boles wants to use her communication degree to promote nonprofits with a focus on the environment.

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  Tyler Tobin

  Sociology major Tyler Tobin ’17 interned at Western Youth Network, where he learned the challenges young people can face.

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  Nic Sisbarro

  For Nic Sisbarro, a campus job with Food Services shaped his choice of major and led to an opportunity to intern at Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island in summer 2017.

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  Patrick Sullivan ’16

  Patrick Sullivan ’16 completed four internships to bolster his practical know-how — two on campus and two more in Washington, D.C.

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  Sarah Aldridge

  Political science major Sarah Aldridge pursued two part-time internships in Washington, D.C., during fall 2016: one with the Sustained Dialogue Institute and another with the Senate HELP Committee.

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  Amy Mercier

  Amy Mercier, a music therapy graduate student, interned at Four Seasons Hospice in Hendersonville, North Carolina, from June-December 2016.

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  Banna Bazzarie

  A recreation management major, Banna Bazzarie found an internship overseas within the tourism industry of Jordan.

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  Eric Burton

  An internship in a NOAA laboratory during Summer 2016 provided a lesson in the value of collaboration.

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  Steven Denton

  A finance and banking major, Steven Denton interned at Liberty Mutual Insurance in Charlotte in summer 2016.

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  Laura Brookshire ’16

  Laura Brookshire said her summer internships in child nutrition services and with community gardens led to her job with Farm Aid.