Internships

Julia Rock-Torcivia (second from the right) with fellow research assistants at the University of Galway in Ireland where she was an intern during summer 2024.

This past summer, four English Major students were able to receive funding from the Lehigh University English Department for summer internships and other experiential learning activities. Professor Edward Whitley, English Department Chair, says that the goal of this funding was to help these students expand their educational interests while preparing them for future careers—while removing some of the worries about debt or summer income. These students interned in a variety of fields from politics to archival research. Based on the feedback from the four students, the first year of this funding program was quite successful.

Audrey Clancy, one of the four students who received summer funding, interned at the U.S National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Through her internship, Audrey was able to gain valuable experiences and skills that support her goals and studies. “I learned how to create an accession to a finding aid, scan slides, and create a presentation about archives curated for a botanical audience” Audrey’s internship connects with her future goals of working in a library or in archives. During her internship, Audrey’s English writing skills were put to practice and used to create a finding aid. The funding provided by the English Department allowed Audrey to commute without having to worry about expenses. Overall, Audrey Clancy highly recommends this internship for people interested in archives or plant science. 

Julia Rock-Torcivia, the second student to receive summer funding, interned at the University of Galway in Galway, Ireland. She worked with Professor Erin McCarthy researching Early Modern Poetry. “ I was able to improve my research skills and learn about two Early Modern women who contributed to literature in England as well as how humanities scholars are utilizing AI in their research and studies.” Julia’s internship complimented her ongoing study of English Literature and provided specific experience in research methods for Early Modern Poetry. By receiving the funding for her internship, Julia was able to study abroad without the worry of travel or housing expenses.