SUNY Geneseo Expands Financial Access to Internships

Isabel Marzec ’25 during a summer archaeology internship (photo provided).

During the past two years, SUNY Geneseo disbursed more than $555,000 to 400+ students to offset the costs of unpaid internships and applied learning experiences, including student teaching.

“Creating more internships is not enough if students still have barriers to engagement,” says Jessie Stack Lombardo, executive director of Geneseo’s Career Design Center. “Our work centers on reducing those barriers so that internship opportunities are truly accessible, equitable, and meaningful for both students and employers.”

To that end, the Career Design Center recently launched the Career Launch Internship Collective (CLIC), a high-impact on-campus internship program designed to reduce common obstacles. CLIC interns receive a $2,000 living stipend per semester to help pay for transportation, parking, childcare, housing, food, and other incidental expenses.

“A greater proportion of enrolled students are engaging in internships,” says Lombardo. “That reflects expanded access, increased institutional investment, and sustained student demand for experiential learning.”

Students completed nearly 300 credit-bearing internships in 2024–25, and college initiatives aim to grow that number. A partnership with the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce and Livingston County includes early-engagement micro-internships with a variety of county departments for Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students. The internships are designed to better understand local workforce needs and are aligned with a new course on applied learning and career readiness.

Almost three-quarters of seniors (71 percent) undertook internships or field experiences during their four years at Geneseo. That’s significantly higher than colleges nationwide (46 percent), according to the 2023 National Survey of Student Engagement.

“We are committed to living into our identity as a public honors college by ensuring that all students can participate in internships,” says Lombardo.

Internships add real-world value

Laura Wright ’24, a political science grad and current doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University, secured several undergraduate internships with guidance and support from Career Design. “The internships were important in helping me reach where I am today,” she says. “Having early conversations about potential career paths made me more intentional about pursuing internships and shaping my college experience in a way that supported my long-term goals.”

Isabel Marzec ’25, a biology major with a minor in geological sciences and a microcredential in archeology, chose an internship after graduation. She’s currently a forensic intern at the Athens-Clarke County (GA) Police Department.

“Taking a gap year to work as an intern in a related field can provide much-needed clarity before committing to more schooling,” Marzec says. “It can provide you with the connections and experience necessary to bypass the entry-level positions students are often confined to following graduation.”

For more, visit the Career Design Center’s Internship Information page.

CLIC stipend applications can be found at Internship and Living Stipend.

Parents can also find resources at the Career Design Center’s Information for Families and Supporters.