Internship+: Another Year, Another Dollar

by Griffin Larson-Erf, Staff Writer

Illustration by Emery Aikin, Contributor

Internship+ is the Career Exploration and Development office’s flagship program, offering students up to $5000 to fund their experiences during the summer between their Junior and Senior years. We are so appreciative of the many donors that make this possible. Without them, the students at Oberlin College and Conservatory would have no chance of making it in the ever-evolving career landscape we claim to prepare them for.

At the end of each spring semester, we face the gruesome task of divvying up a seemingly bottomless money pit amongst anyone that owns merch with a red and yellow color scheme – and, yes, that includes Gryffindors as well Kansas City Chief fans. Unfortunately, this last summer we did notice a number of applicants trying to game the system. So, this next time around we will be requiring completion of the Proof of Pulse Agreement. Additionally, we have partnered with a drug testing agency, to ensure that no one who comes back negative for THC slips through the cracks.

Every year we are incredibly impressed with what Obies can do when they put their minds to it. Disregarding the one or two bad eggs, those involved in the 2026 Internship+ cycle may have been our most impressive yet. Because good work deserves praise, we’ve chosen to spotlight just a few of the stand outs.

Greg Groil, a sixth-year TAMARA student, found a position with the Cleveland Parks and Recreation department. The internship specifically tasked him to go diving in Lake Eerie and count every individual fish and make note of their vibe. However, Greg’s true goal was to capture whale noises. He was devastated to learn that whales only naturally appear in the ocean. Regardless, we are so happy to have funded your subaquatic DJ booth.

Gwenlefaye Le’Rizz worked in a lab in her home town, trying to synthesize a revolutionary mental health medicine. She informed us that she would be working remotely. What we did not realize was that this meant she was going to be growing shrooms in her closet and that the test subject was her parents’ abominable marriage. We ended up giving her the full $5000, and when she told us that her parents weren’t the same anymore, we graciously offered to pay for their counseling.

Of course, we are so excited for everyone that took advantage of the Internship+ program this last summer. The CED office is adamant that with a little practice, any Oberlin student can have a prosperous future in fraud,