Supporting our Community Through the Internship Fund
Catherine Dai ’26, Cindy Gu ’26, and Libby Liu ’26 reflect on their experience leading a student organization that supports students pursuing nonprofit or public-sector summer internships.
When we arrived at Yale SOM as first-year MBAs last year, we had the incredible opportunity to lead an impact-focused, student-led organization that brings the entire school community together: the Internship Fund.
In keeping with SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society, students established the Internship Fund in 1979, soon after the school opened its doors. The first of its kind among business schools across the country, the fund raised money to ensure that students could pursue summer internships in the public and nonprofit sectors without financial constraints. These days, between 5% and 15% of each class receives support for summer internships—and along the way, the fund has grown into one of SOM’s most beloved community traditions.
At its heart, the Internship Fund is about two things: supporting classmates and bringing people together. Every year, we host some of SOM’s most anticipated events, including:
- Auction Night: an annual fundraiser where the SOM community bids on everything from faculty dinners to weekend getaways.
- Star Search: our very own SOM talent show (think singing, dancing, surprise ventriloquism, and your favorite faculty dancing to Bruno Mars).
- Club Collabs: smaller but still mighty events, like a hot dog-eating contest or chili cook-off, that keep the energy going all year long.
The money we raise helps fund students interning at nonprofit organizations across the globe. And we don’t ask students to compete for that support; if you’re eligible, the fund does everything it can to support you. Recent interns have worked in areas like public health, education, and international development in locations from New Haven to Brazil.
The Internship Fund has been a special and meaningful part of our SOM experience. For Cindy, it was an incredible opportunity to take part in long-standing traditions and contribute to the “and society” aspect of SOM’s mission, even as a first-year. Catherine valued being part of the collective effort that brings the broader community together through Internship Fund initiatives. Libby was grateful that the fund allowed her to pursue dream internships at leading performing arts organizations while also working alongside other student leaders to foster a sense of belonging. For all of us, it has been inspiring to witness the school’s strong tradition of generosity, and to know that our work directly helped classmates pursue social impact careers.
