SECU Foundation Renews $100,000 Funding for Student Internship Program

Students Nyla Harris, left, and Jimmy Chambers Jr. are two ECSU students who have been accepted into an internship program funded by a State Employee Credit Union grant.

Twenty Elizabeth City State University students will have an opportunity to apply for summer 2021 internships thanks to the renewal of a grant from the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation. The SECU Foundation provided $100,000 in funding for students to work 32 hours per week at $13 per hour for a variety of organizations. 

In April, a UNC System team comprised of staff from campuses across the state initiated an effort to match students without summer internships or jobs in need of additional assistance due to COVID-19. Yolanda Carcana, ECSU’s interim director of career services, was one of the team members. Through a partnership with the NC COVID-19 Student Response Corp, sponsored by the Governor’s office, and the UNC School of Government, the students were placed into internships with local government and non-profit organizations.

“Thanks to this great initiative, ECSU was able to place students whose internships were unexpectedly cancelled or impacted due to COVID-19 with new internships with various organizations throughout North Carolina,” said Ms. Carcana. “We look forward to cultivating these internship experiences into potential employment opportunities and careers in public service.”

Students currently accepted into the program are Tiyana Boyce, interning with the City of Elizabeth City; Jimmy Chambers, interning with the Union County Sheriff’s Office; and Nyla Harris, interning with Dental Transformation.

Other organizations accepting students for the summer program are the American Red Cross, Team Rubicon, the Elizabeth City Regional Airport, and Vector CSP TCOM.

In addition to the internships, students were provided a free, virtual two-day training session early last month. The training focused on public service.

Training topics included: local government 101, nonprofit 101, public policy communications, navigating work in the real world, organizational theory and behavior, professional research, grant writing, business process reengineering, and a session exploring NC’s challenges and opportunities. 

The student interns will also attend a virtual professional development speaker series throughout the summer. 

ECSU student and internship participant, Nyla Harris, said she’s grateful for the program and grant, and wants her fellow Vikings to know that they should persist in pursuing opportunities such as this. 

“I encourage my peers to not give up on applying for internships,” said Ms. Harris. “Once you’re accepted, it’s a foot in the doorway of your future.”

Ms. Carcana said preference is given to juniors and seniors, and all majors are welcome to apply.