The Internship Fund Helps Shape What We May Be
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” – Hamlet (Act 4, Sc 5), William Shakespeare
OK. Sure. Ophelia’s whole world had fallen apart, and she was going crazy when she said that. But that’s what makes it resonate. It’s difficult to not become disheartened when looking at the news. Our world frequently seems on the brink of being torn apart. But I know brilliant people, intent on stopping that from happening. Three hundred twenty-six of them. And over 10% of them will be taking social sector internships this summer to directly impact society.
And they have help. For the last 29 years, the Internship Fund has provided financial support to Yale School of Management students who pursue summer internships in the social sector. This money is raised through the generosity, contributions, and volunteer hours of SOM students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The entire SOM population chips in to support the Fund, removing financial concerns and allowing over 10% of the first-year student class to work at internships in the social sector.
The Internship Fund and its annually-renewed themes embody the mission of SOM. Each year’s Internship Fund team spends a good deal of time planning for the theme. We will wear the theme proudly on our shirts throughout the year, and we want to ensure that the theme represents what makes SOM unique and the Internship Fund so valuable. At our meetings, we realized there was a simple, common thread behind all of our ideas: we all picked SOM as our home because we want to make a difference. Because we are different. So we put that on a shirt.
Yale School of Management educates leaders for business and society. The Internship Fund and the mission of the school are connected at their very cores. It was inspiring to see the excitement around the Fund, the theme, and its importance to this school last Thursday. SOM people are different, and we are proud of this. We want to make business and society better. And everyone at SOM, in his or her own way, inspires that difference.
And yes, T-shirts with the logo will be available for all. So know that “we may be” wearing them soon.