Experiential Education
News
Monmouth University
Spring 2012
Internships ▪ Service Learning ▪ Co-ops ▪ Study Abroad ▪ Class Projects
SCANning for a Unique Internship
Monmouth Students Use Their Talents at Adult Education Center
Senior Nick Catucci had already completed his
undergraduate degree requirements at Monmouth when he set out to cross one last item off
his to-do list: find a placement for the Experiential Education requirement that would allow him
to finish his final three credits and receive his
diploma. Though Nick was faced with a few
unpleasant interview experiences as he went
through the process of finding a good fit, his
efforts paid off when he found SCAN Adult
Education Center in Eatontown, New Jersey.
SCAN is considered to be New Jersey’s leading
center for continuing education for older adults
and is committed to offering classes for senior
citizens so that they can continue to expand their
knowledge and creativity even as they age.
SCAN offers a variety of different courses every
season, including classes in fitness and dance,
arts and crafts, foreign language skills, literature,
creative writing, computer skills, television production, finances, music, and much more. The
center also offers day trips to various attractions
in the tri-state area as well as free weekly lectures.
Victoria Vasile, Communication Major
While at his internship, Nick assisted with the
audio and visual recording for the station and
documented all of the station’s progress thoroughly. He also assisted with copying tapes,
updating formats, filing spreadsheets, and mailing footage for airing, noting that his internship
became very much like running a real television
station. “It is a wonderful experiential time in my
life,” Nick explains. “I am learning a lot, and
becoming better and better at organization and
timeliness.” In addition to TV production, SCAN
offers internship opportunities in special events,
grant writing, and accounting.
Nick and Victoria recommend that Monmouth
students look into internship opportunities at
SCAN, which are applicable to a variety of
majors and interests, and visit the Center for
Student Success for assistance. Nick also
encourages that students try to find internships that will be best suited for their interests
and personalities, stressing that students
should “find an internship where you are
treated as a peer and you are in the top 10% so
that you might have a chance to learn something.” As for Nick’s first discouraging interview, he notes that he knew immediately that
a placement at that site would not be best
suited for him, and decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere. He urges students to be careful in deciding where to spend their time as an
intern and focus on finding a positive, fulfilling environment that will allow them to learn
and build their experience.
Victoria encourages Monmouth students to do
as many internships as they can during their
four undergraduate years, describing the experiences as being above and beyond what a
student can learn in a classroom. Though
SCAN takes the words of Henry Ford to heart:
Victoria hopes to focus on radio rather than
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at
television, interning at SCAN gave her the
twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning
opportunity to produce and host her own
stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep
show, which was broadcasted on cable to a
your mind young” by being a strong advocate of
Monmouth senior Victoria Vasile, also majoring wide audience of local viewers. She also
lifelong learning. Especially in these times of
in television/radio communication, worked
formed a great relationship with her mentor,
changing technology, SCAN gives senior citizens the opportunity to expand their knowledge alongside Nick in the television studio this past which added to her enjoyment of the experisemester. Together, the two students helped with ence and her enthusiasm for the work.
and understanding of the ever-changing world
clerical work, assisted with producing television
by learning how to communicate using tools
programs, and worked with the senior students as
such as Facebook, Google, Photoshop, and ewell as with a mentor to develop and promote the Both Nick and Victoria were able to find a
mail and participating in courses that discuss
cable programs. For Victoria, working at SCAN unique learning experience in an unexpected
news and current events.
was particularly valuable because she was able to place. Though both had different interests and
perused many different paths in their quests
apply the skills that she had developed in her
Nick was able to put his skills as a television/
for an internship, both found SCAN to be a
courses
to
real-world
situations.
As
she
continues
radio communication major to work as an intern
great fit that gave them a plethora of opportuto
search
for
additional
internships
as
well
as
for
in SCAN’s television studios. SCAN, along with
nities to learn and grow. As they move forfull-time
work
within
the
field,
Victoria
underthe students enrolled in the Communication
ward in their search for additional internships
stands
the
importance
of
connecting
academic
Internship course, produces three shows that are
and full-time jobs, they will always have their
knowledge
with
practical
experiences
and
knows
shown on local cable access channels in Monexperiences at SCAN to assist them in the
that
her
time
spent
at
SCAN
will
be
a
major
mouth and Ocean Counties.
future.
asset.
http://www.monmouth.edu/university/experiential-education.aspx
Page 2
Experiential Education News
Reaping the Benefits of Research
Sean Grimes,
Senior Chemistry Major
Sean Grimes, a senior majoring in chemistry, never planned on working in the
field of analytical chemistry until he participated in the Summer Research Program at Monmouth University. Thanks to the encouragement and support he
received from faculty within the Department of Chemistry, Medical Technology,
and Physics, Sean was able to take advantage of an internship that helped him
identify new career interests.
Spreading Cheer at a
Local Nursing Home
Lauren O’Donnell,
Junior Social Work Major
Like all social work majors, junior Lauren O’Donnell had to
complete a thirty-hour field experience during her sophomore
year at Monmouth. She found her placement at Gateway in Eatontown to be insightful and enjoyable.
Lauren spent her time at Gateway getting to know the residents
and raising their spirits. Even her first day was impactful; as she
went around introducing herself and meeting the residents at the
nursing home, she was able to spend time with each one and
hear stories about their pasts and their families. Hearing these
stories and interacting with the residents helped Lauren to think
about her own personal relationships and develop a different
view of the elderly. Lauren emphasizes that the elderly should
be praised, honored, and respected, and noted that they all have
stories to share.
After completing the Summer Research Program, Sean had the opportunity to
work at Global Essence, a company in the flavor and fragrance industry. Sean
applied analytical chemistry to his work at Essence, which included quality control, as well as analyzing and interpreting data.
This position allowed Sean to get out of the classroom and network, as well as to
apply his knowledge from his classes to real life experiences. It also allowed
Sean to develop new interests; although he was interested in other specialties
within the field, his internship helped him to discover that he enjoyed analytical
chemistry and was interested in pursuing similar opportunities.
Sean feels very positive about his future and feels that his internship and research
experiences have definitely played a role in his optimism. Global Essence already has given him an opportunity for full-time work post-graduation, and Sean
felt that he was welcomed into the company and treated as part of the team. He
feels that because of his work and networking opportunities, he has been able to
establish himself and ensure success in the future.
Sean strongly encourages other students to network outside of the classroom and
to take advantage of any opportunities that may come their way, even if it is
something that may not be a student’s first choice or main interest. “Keep your
options open and don’t limit yourself,” he suggests. His experience in research
helped him to develop new interests, which sparked opportunities that Sean
could not have imagined at the time. Anything is possible, so Sean recommends
that students be open to all types of opportunities.
Although Lauren enjoyed her experience at Gateway, her goal is
to work with victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
On campus, she is President of Begin by Believing, which is the
Monmouth University chapter of NJCASA (the New Jersey
Coalition Against Sexual Assault). She found the School of
Social Work to be very helpful as she searched for a field placement, but stresses that students should be doing the work on
their own to get the most out of the process.
Lauren has a great deal of advice for other students seeking an
internship, especially in social work. “Be forward and start
working immediately,” she says. “Treat your internship as a
workplace and practice professionalism. Don’t be afraid to put
yourself out there.”
Sean Grimes at work at Global Essence, where his tasks include quality control,
as well as analyzing and interpreting data
http://www.monmouth.edu/university/experiential-education.aspx
Page 3
Experiential Education News
Gaining Experience at
Great Adventure
Anthony Colella,
Senior Art & Design Major
Monmouth University senior Anthony Colella spent his summer at Six Flags Great
Adventure. However, unlike a typical student on summer vacation, Anthony was not
there to try out the newest rollercoaster or experience thrill rides with his friends; he
was completing a Graphic Design Summer Internship and gaining experience for his
future profession.
Anthony heard about the opportunity at Great Adventure by word of mouth; another
student at Monmouth recommended him for the position. As an art and design major,
the internship was a great fit for Anthony and helped him to develop a variety of skills
that will be marketable to employers and beneficial to his future career. He spent his
hours at Great Adventure doing “a little bit of everything” which included creating
flyers, assisting with social media, and gaining an inside view of marketing.
Anthony Colella spent his internship at Six Flags Great
Adventure designing flyers like the one seen above.
Anthony enjoyed his experience at Great Adventure, describing it as a “great place to
learn” and an opportunity to become more well-rounded and learn about the experience of holding a “9-to-5” job. He has several pieces of advice to offer to other students who are seeking such positive experiences at their internships: “Don’t settle for
something that doesn’t interest you,” he cautions. “Interning in a field that does not
interest you will be difficult and disappointing. Look for opportunities within the
fields that you enjoy.” He also stressed the importance of networking and taking a
proactive approach in finding an internship, saying to “put yourself out there and aim
big.” Anthony certainly took his own advice to heart when completing his internship
at Six Flags Great Adventure, and as he moves onto other projects, his experiences
will be an asset to his future assignments.
Spotlight on...Art & Design
Exploring Creative Internships
Learning the
Ropes at
Be Marketing
Ricky Cappetta
Junior
Art & Design Major
Need an internship?
Check out the
Ex Ed Database
of Opportunities
Junior art and design major Ricky Cappetta spent the end of his spring semester searching for a summer internship in New York. When he was invited to interview at Be Marketing on Long Island, Ricky
had the opportunity to see his goals become a reality.
Be Marketing creates advertising campaigns for a variety of companies, and Ricky spent a lot of his
time at the company working on different campaigns, including one for Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauce.
Ricky observed that working at the internship was different from class work and required a great deal
of professionalism; he worked hard and avoided cutting corners, understanding that a higher level of
work was required for success at his position. His internship helped him to cement his career goals of
working in marketing and advertising, and he plans to search for full-time positions within the field.
One of Ricky’s favorite experiences at Be Marketing was seeing his work used in the real world. He
also developed a good relationship with his coworkers and enjoyed weekly lunches getting to know his
supervisor. As for other students who are seeking internships, Ricky encourages students to go out on
their own and look for placement sites and opportunities that interest them. He also recommends starting the search early in the semester to make sure that no opportunities are missed.
http://www.monmouth.edu/university/experiential-education.aspx
Page 4
Experiential Education News
Experiential Education is a General Education requirement for all undergraduate students that seeks to give students
practical, “hands-on” experience in a setting outside of the classroom environment. Ex Ed offers students work-related
experience and an opportunity to network in their chosen field. Stop by the Center for Student Success on the lower level
of the Student Center and ask about opportunities that you may be interested in. The offices of Cooperative Education
and Service Learning & Community Programs can both be found here.
Turning an Internship into a Full-Time Position
Timothy Cahill, Senior Computer Science Major
Although computer science senior Timothy Cahill was considering a number of
options for his internship placement at Monmouth, it was the opportunity for
hands-on experience that led him to accept a position at Lockheed Martin in
Moorestown, New Jersey. While at Lockheed, Tim worked closely with other
professionals on several projects and spent time each day in the company’s testing lab.
“Two projects that I worked on were based on the Japanese Combat system that
Lockheed develops for their navy, and the other project was an internal project
that I worked on in a small team, comparing data about our radar and GPS system,” Tim explains. Tim’s responsibilities at Lockheed included logging the test
results using Excel, researching the companies and products that were being
tested, and developing a program with another intern so that the data that was
collected could be compared with others.
Ex Ed Leadership Team
Mercy Azeke
Dean of the Center for Student Success
Tim enjoyed working at Lockheed and was especially grateful for the opportunity to spend half of the work day at the test center as opposed to spending the
day behind a computer screen; however, the work was not without its challenges.
Tim was challenged to learn a great deal of material in a short amount of time.
Despite the challenges, Tim quickly became a part of the team and embraced his
position at Lockheed.
Robert Scott
Faculty Director of Ex Ed; Associate Professor,
Economics, Finance, and Real Estate
For students who are searching for internships and full-time placements, Tim
offers this sound advice: “Just keep looking and use every possible resource.
There are a lot of jobs out there that people don’t know about, so keep at it.” Tim
followed his own advice by using career search engines such as Monster and
Google, as well as applying directly through the Web sites of different companies
he was interested in. Ultimately, he chose to apply to Lockheed through their
Web site and was accepted.
Jean Judge
Associate Dean for Support Services and Articulation
Tim’s internship not only offered him experience and a chance to apply his skills
and education to real-world situations, but also the opportunity for a full-time
position. Tim was offered the position of Associate Member of the Engineering
Staff and will be starting in May following graduation. Tim looks forward to the
future, saying, “Hopefully I will be able to make a nice long career out of this
decision.”
Saliba Sarsar
Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives
William Hill
Assistant Dean for Career Services
Kathleen Kennedy
Director of Cooperative Education
Marilyn Ward
Coordinator of Service Learning and Community Programs
Robyn Asaro
Assistant Director of Study Abroad
Co-ops * Internships * Service Learning * Study Abroad * Class Projects