If you think the best part about being a student is “getting summers off,” think again.
This summer, more than 300 Trinity Tigers engaged in experiential learning opportunities on and off campus, in-person and virtually. Across 36 academic departments and programs, 165 students engaged in summer research, 35 completed internships, and 12 students participated in the Stumberg Accelerator. These students were collectively mentored by 97 faculty members, and 200 of them presented during the 2021 Summer Experiential Learning Symposium held July 27 and 28.
So, what did these Tigers do to make it a summer ON, not a summer off?
Research and Discovery
Trinity has long been known for the strength of its undergraduate research opportunities, and this summer was no exception. Students and faculty found creative ways to produce meaningful work both on-campus and virtually. From the Mellon Initiative and the Murchison Fellowship to McNair Scholars and the Department of Chemistry’s storied programs, students showcased their work through presentations, posters, and a path toward authorship on research papers and initiatives.
Internships galore!
Students in the Arts, Letters, and Enterprise program partnered with area nonprofits to provide crucial services, while Alvarez Grant students interned through the Mexico, the Americas, and Spain program. In addition, Donahue interns created their own internship opportunities across the nation, while a handful of Tigers interned for the nation on Capitol Hill.
Entrepreneurs Unite
Through this summer’s Stumberg Accelerator, a dozen students on teams armed with $5,000 in seed funding got down to business. Commuv, MicroLev, NewWorks SA, Notch E-Sports, and Wakescoot developed, honed, and refined their products, services, and business models in preparation for the Stumberg Finals this fall.
Drawn to Nature
The Costa Rican Ecology program was back this summer after a year-long COVID-19 hiatus. Through the program, more than a dozen Trinity students and three faculty from departments across campus traveled across Costa Rica to discover how art and cultural skills can make for better environmental studies.
Bonus: The 2021 Summer Experiential Learning Symposium website was designed by a summer intern, Tara Kyaw ’22. An integral component of the symposium, the website now features recordings from the live student presentations.
The University gives a gigantic shout-out to the Office of Experiential Learning in the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success as well as all of the individual programs' faculty, staff, advisers, mentors, and supporters. Congratulations to all Tigers for an amazing Summer 2021—and cheers to the next one!
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