POTSDAM— Four North Country students will be among the first to participate in SUNY Potsdam’s new Presidential internship program, which will place them in paid roles with local businesses this summer.

The pilot program will match high-achieving students with completely paid internships at select sites, where they will receive academic credit, professional development opportunities and stipend support.

The participants include: Sarah Fitzgerald, a psychology major from Madrid who will serve as health educator at the Seaway Valley Prevention Council in Ogdensburg.

Emily Taylor, a business administration and English/applied writing major from Brasher Falls, will serve as marketing and public relations intern at Blueline literary magazine in Potsdam.

Nadia Atkinson, an art education major from Harrisville, will serve as teen summer program intern at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council in Potsdam.

Jack Luck, an environmental studies major from Heuvelton, will serve as summer intern at the St. Lawrence Land Trust in Canton.

In 2023, Potsdam was one of 12 SUNY campuses invited to participate in a project led by Jobs for the Future, a not-for-profit organization that works to advance equitable economic benefits for all. The project aims to reduce the financial barriers students often face when completing unpaid internships and other applied learning experiences. Following on the project, the campus applied for and received $100,000 in Empire State Development Funding to support stipends, tuition and other costs associated with the new Presidential Internship Program.

The Lougheed Center for Applied Learning invited North Country businesses and organizations to apply to host interns through the new program. Sites outlined detailed internship descriptions, and students admitted to the program then select their top choices through a matching process.

During the experience, student interns will complete a minimum six-credit internship for a total of 240 hours in Summer 2025.

Students will work with SUNY Potsdam faculty members to develop academic learning outcomes related to the job description/site tasks. Site supervisors will evaluate students at the midway point and the end of the internship experience. Weekly professional development sessions will be offered to all student interns, supported by staff from the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning.