Donors who contribute to discretionary funds help prepare Badgers for future success. This flexible support aids in creating summer internship programs at UW–Madison, offering students the chance to develop valuable skills, gain practical experience, and build professional networks while enhancing their confidence and employability. At the university, these beneficial internship and fellowship programs are being established across campus in areas like the UW Law School, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the School of Education to help students earn financial compensation while getting career-ready.
CALS Leads the Way in Research
Ongoing donor support of the agricultural research station internship program created by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) ensures that Badgers can access first-rate research experiences at research stations across the state. These life-changing opportunities allow students to gain valuable, hands-on skills that will prepare them for life after graduation, a cornerstone of the CALS experience. Students work with professional researchers while gaining workforce experience in agricultural business management, animal and veterinary bioscience, food sciences, and more. CALS students with an unpaid or underpaid summer internship can apply for an internship fund through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub, which awards up to $5,000 per internship.
“With our network of 12 agricultural research stations (ARS) across Wisconsin, CALS is privileged to partner with donors each year to offer immersive, practical learning experiences to UW undergraduates,” says Mike Peters ’95, director of the ARS. “These opportunities introduce students to a variety of agricultural careers and allow them to apply scientific methods in an agricultural environment. These internships serve as a launch point for students to become highly sought-after employees or pursue graduate school.”
While learning alongside agricultural researchers, CALS students can explore topics such as using virtual fencing with dairy cattle, breeding vegetables for better taste and longevity, or using drones to build a crop yield prediction model. This gives students a well-rounded experience as well as a chance to discover a passion for areas they might not have known about otherwise.
“Working at the agriculture research station was an amazing opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience while also learning how to prepare and analyze plant trails,” says environmental science and global health major Mae Moen x’25. “I’m thankful to all those who supported this internship, and I hope other students have the same chance to learn outside the classroom.”
Law School Fellowships Change Lives
The Summer Public Interest Fellowships at the UW Law School allow students to cultivate skills in legal and trial strategy, client intake and counseling, legal research and writing, community outreach, and more. Through these experiential opportunities, law students provide services to vulnerable populations, such as low-income and socioeconomically disadvantaged people, and those experiences could lead to permanent job placement. These fellowships are a key priority for UW Law because the number of applicants outweighs the available funds. In 2024, 65 students received summer public interest funding awards made possible by donors like you. The stipends from these awards help students who accept full-time unpaid, or extremely low-paid, summer public service internships.
Caroline Fribance JD’74 is a donor who sees the value in supporting law students. A passionate alumna, Fribance took advantage of practical experiences at the UW that were vital to both her education and her career. She was a paid intern funded through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enabled her to investigate discrimination complaints and determine whether there was probable cause to pursue legal action. She attended hearings and assisted the supervising attorney in writing up a decision for the case, which prepared her to work confidently as an attorney and resulted in her first job out of college. Inspired by the power of internships, Fribance created two fellowship funds to support future generations of law students.
“An internship in the student’s career field of interest will broaden their understanding of their opportunities and challenges,” says Fribance. “The legacy I hope to leave is that there will be more public interest lawyers ready to work right out of law school on the many societal problems we have. I also wanted to honor lawyers who were important in my professional development through named fellowships, such as Professor Arlen Christensen [LLB’60], who chose the environmental field, and Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson [DJS’62], who was all about public interest representation. These individuals will be remembered by student interns who do not know them but will likely learn about them and appreciate their significance.”
A Leg Up for Early-Career Teachers
During the summer of 2022, the UW School of Education hosted its inaugural Early Career Teaching Institute (ECTI). This donor-funded professional development opportunity is specifically designed for graduates of the UW teacher certification programs from the past five years. This collaborative community is committed to improving instruction, expanding content knowledge, and sharing practices for thriving in the teaching profession. While ECTI isn’t the same as other internships or fellowships, it provides a high-value professional development opportunity over the summer for early-career teaching professionals.
“We believe in supporting our alumni throughout their teaching careers — not only during their time as students at UW–Madison,” says Tom Owenby PhD’18, the School of Education’s associate dean for teacher education and the director of the UW’s Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center. “We are dedicated to helping our alumni become the most effective educators they can be.”
The generosity of donors like Mary ’68 and Ted ’69 Kellner makes ECTI and all that it provides possible. More than 120 early-career teachers attended ECTI in 2024, where they took part in enriching group learning, heard from renowned keynote speakers, and connected with faculty, staff, and fellow alumni through social events and meals. More than 89 percent of the participants were from Wisconsin, and 13 teachers joined from six other states and two other countries. ECTI was designed to help build community among teachers who support each other during the institute.
“ECTI makes me feel refreshed and ready to go back to school!” says Julia Flynn ’21, MS’22. “It is an amazing opportunity to connect with peers and colleagues and find support in an often difficult profession.”
“It is a wonderful experience of reconnecting with other educators while adding more tools to my toolbox,” Bryttany Dove MS’23 adds.