For many Syracuse University students, summer is a time to work at career-related internships. Through internships, they put classroom knowledge into action, gain hands-on experience, build professional skills and relationships and gain valuable insights as they explore their career options. Here are six students who shared highlights of their summer 2024 internships in the aerospace, fashion, legal, architecture, energy and banking fields.
Brady Arruda ’25 explores the history of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, standing here with a space shuttle.
Fueled by a NASA Experience
Brady Arruda ’25 has long been interested in NASA’s human spaceflight program, and this summer he fueled that passion with hands-on experience through an internship with Jacobs, a NASA contractor. Arruda, an aerospace engineering major, worked in the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He appreciated the opportunity to learn about topics that he’d never been exposed to in the classroom, including cryogenic systems, pressure vessels and vacuum chambers. “This internship gave me great insight into operations and environmental testing and opened many connections to the human spaceflight world,” he says.
Christian Louboutin intern Alexandra Cuoco ’25 enjoys the world of fashion, having fun here modeling a pair of Louboutin pumps with the recognizable red soles.
A Perfect Fit at Christian Louboutin
Alexandra Cuoco ’25 found the perfect fit when she landed an internship in New York City with Christian Louboutin, a luxury fashion industry leader known for its shoes’ signature red soles. Cuoco, who’s majoring in public relations (PR) and French and Francophone studies, worked with the company’s editorial and VIP teams for PR, visited boutiques and selected and sent shoes to celebrities for their red-carpet appearances. On the list: Shoes for Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and the rest of the Deadpool & Wolverine cast for the movie’s world premiere. “Working at Louboutin has been the most rewarding and amazing experience of my life,” Cuoco says.
Aliah Mahshie L’26 does research during her internship with the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King in Syracuse.
Immersed in Legal Training at Bond, Schoeneck & King
As a participant in the M. Catherine Richardson L’77 Clerkship Program at Bond, Schoeneck & King in Syracuse, College of Law student Aliah Mahshie L’26 gained immeasurable experience working directly with attorneys on cases. She built practical skills doing legal research and writing, case analysis and client communication, as well as drafting legal documents and briefs. Insights on the different areas of the legal profession also proved invaluable. “I particularly valued collaborating with attorneys on strategy sessions and client meetings, which gave me a clearer sense of the day-to-day responsibilities of a lawyer and the impact of legal work on people’s lives,” she says.
Aung Htet Khant Paing ’27 gives two thumbs up as he works on some notes at Robert Siegel Architects.
Building Skills With Robert Siegel Architects
Architecture major Aung Htet Khant Paing ’27 reaped the rewards of reaching out to alumnus Robert Siegel ’86 about an internship when Siegel was a guest critic in one of Paing’s classes last semester. At Robert Siegel Architects in Katonah, New York, Paing embraced numerous tasks. He drew analytical diagrams and developed room plans as part of a proposal presentation board that he compiled. He made site visits and participated in construction meetings with architects, contractors, owner representatives and other stakeholders. He also learned how valuable communication, adaptability and teamwork are to a project and appreciated Siegel’s mentoring. “This internship has prepared me to become a critical thinker, a problem solver, an outgoing person with all the characteristics that will make me well-rounded,” says Paing, who advises other international students to be proactive in seeking internship opportunities.
Ellie Parkes ’26 puts her electrical engineering skills to work at Dow’s operations plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Powering Up With Dow
Ellie Parkes ’26 got a charge out of her internship with Dow, one of the world’s leading materials science companies. Parkes, an electrical engineering major, not only worked on projects to improve energy production at the company’s operations plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but she also recognized the importance of communicating across disciplines. “Most of the people I worked with on a day-to-day basis were chemical and mechanical engineers who didn’t know much about electrical systems,” she says. “Being able to communicate high-level electrical concepts through images and metaphors has been a skill that helped me a lot through my time here.”
Kerry Spencer ’25 appreciates how Bank of America’s Global Operations Development Summer Analyst Program helped her grow professionally.
Going Global at Bank of America
Thanks to her School of Information Studies classes, information management and technology major Kerry Spencer ’25 felt well prepared for her internship with Bank of America’s Global Operations Development Summer Analyst Program. Spencer worked in the corporation’s Global Credit, Anti-Money Laundering, and Operations Onboarding section in Jacksonville, Florida, where she built on her leadership, presentation and project management skills. She also gained teamwork and networking experience. “All these skills combined, both old and new, created an internship experience that was incredibly informative and created a space that made me grow as a future professional,” Spencer says.
