16 App State students develop professional skills through SECU Foundation internships

View larger image — This spring, Appalachian State University alumna Megan Broome ’21, of Cherryville, served as an intern at Horizons Elementary School in Lenoir as part of the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Intern Program. The program helps students develop their professional skills as they work with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies. Broome earned a B.S. in social work from App State. Photo submitted

“The intern experience greatly enhances students’ education and future career. It has been a real joy to provide students with this opportunity, to see their accomplishments and watch where their career paths move forward.”

Dr. Susan McCracken, director of career development and economic engagement at App State, on students’ participation in the SECU Public Fellows Intern Program.

App State’s 2021 SECU Public Fellows interns

The following App State students and alumni served local and regional communities during spring and summer 2021 as participants in the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Intern Program.

The program is designed to help students develop their professional skills as they work with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies, and students receive funding to support themselves during the internship.

Brielle Kaluzny ’21, of Wilmington, worked for the Guardian Ad Litem Program in the Avery County Courthouse in Newland. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Sarah Wilson ’21, of Hickory, interned at the Conover School in Newton-Conover. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Jessica Bravo ’21, of Charlotte, interned at Care Ring, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Samantha Joyce ’21, of Mount Airy, interned at the Shelter Home of Caldwell County in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Emily Rodriguez ’21, of Boone, interned at Caldwell County Department of Social Services. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Megan Broome ’21, of Cherryville, interned at Horizons Elementary School in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Shannon Callahan ’21, of Boone, interned at the Wilkes County Public Library in North Wilkesboro. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Freddy Luviano ’21, of Statesville, interned at the Community Care Clinic in Boone. He is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Caroline Johnson, of Rockwell, interned at Hardin Park Elementary School in Boone. She is a social work graduate student.
Ras-Solomon Tafari ’21, of Salisbury, interned at Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. He holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Natalie Lambert ’21, of Randolph, interned at the Asheboro Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Emily McAbee ’21, of Buncombe, interned at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Boone. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Mary McCullough, of Rowan, interned at Rowan County Department of Social Services. She is a senior criminal justice major.
Andrew Plettner, of Mecklenburg, interned at Ashe County Government. He is a senior political science major.
Alicia Heath ’21, of Craven, interned at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Sophie Sheperd ’21, of Mecklenburg, interned at Gaston County Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.

Edited by Jessica Stump

Posted Oct. 28, 2021 at 10:21 a.m.

BOONE, N.C. — The State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Intern Program, funded by the SECU Foundation, afforded nine Appalachian State University students the opportunity to complete internships this past spring, with an additional seven students completing internships in summer 2021.

“The intern experience greatly enhances students’ education and future career. It has been a real joy to provide students with this opportunity, to see their accomplishments and watch where their career paths move forward.”

Dr. Susan McCracken, director of career development and economic engagement at App State, on students’ participation in the SECU Public Fellows Intern Program.

The program is designed to help students develop their professional skills as they work with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies, and students receive funding to support themselves during the internship.

“The intern experience greatly enhances students’ education and future career,” said Dr. Susan McCracken, director of career development and economic engagement at App State. “It has been a real joy to provide students with this opportunity, to see their accomplishments and watch where their career paths move forward. We’re thankful for SECU Foundation’s ongoing partnership and support to make this internship program such a success.”

Since 2015, more than 120 App State students have been able to fully invest in and focus on a professional, full-time internship thanks to the program, McCracken shared.

Intern Emily Rodriguez ’21, of Boone, had this to say about her SECU Public Fellows opportunity: “My internships with Caldwell County Department of Social Services will give me the impactful learning experiences I need to better serve this community and similar communities as a social worker.” Rodriguez graduated from App State this spring with a Bachelor of Science in social work.

SECU Foundation’s investment totals $850,000 and provides students with local apprenticeship opportunities in rural, underserved communities. App State undergraduate students participating in the university’s ACCESS Scholarship Program, as well as degree-seeking undergraduate students in the Department of Government and Justice Studies and the Department of Social Work, are eligible to apply.

The internship program was first announced in 2015, collaborating with the University of North Carolina System for a three-campus pilot. The success of the pilot, along with the growing need for paid undergraduate internships, led the SECU Foundation to expand the program’s reach to 15 UNC campuses:

App State
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina State University
UNC Asheville
UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC Charlotte
UNC Greensboro
UNC Pembroke
UNC Wilmington
Western Carolina University
Winston-Salem State University

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App State’s 2021 SECU Public Fellows interns

The following App State students and alumni served local and regional communities during spring and summer 2021 as participants in the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Intern Program.

The program is designed to help students develop their professional skills as they work with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies, and students receive funding to support themselves during the internship.

Brielle Kaluzny ’21, of Wilmington, worked for the Guardian Ad Litem Program in the Avery County Courthouse in Newland. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Sarah Wilson ’21, of Hickory, interned at the Conover School in Newton-Conover. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Jessica Bravo ’21, of Charlotte, interned at Care Ring, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Samantha Joyce ’21, of Mount Airy, interned at the Shelter Home of Caldwell County in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Emily Rodriguez ’21, of Boone, interned at Caldwell County Department of Social Services. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Megan Broome ’21, of Cherryville, interned at Horizons Elementary School in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Shannon Callahan ’21, of Boone, interned at the Wilkes County Public Library in North Wilkesboro. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Freddy Luviano ’21, of Statesville, interned at the Community Care Clinic in Boone. He is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Caroline Johnson, of Rockwell, interned at Hardin Park Elementary School in Boone. She is a social work graduate student.
Ras-Solomon Tafari ’21, of Salisbury, interned at Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. He holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Natalie Lambert ’21, of Randolph, interned at the Asheboro Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Emily McAbee ’21, of Buncombe, interned at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Boone. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Mary McCullough, of Rowan, interned at Rowan County Department of Social Services. She is a senior criminal justice major.
Andrew Plettner, of Mecklenburg, interned at Ashe County Government. He is a senior political science major.
Alicia Heath ’21, of Craven, interned at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Sophie Sheperd ’21, of Mecklenburg, interned at Gaston County Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.

SECU Fellows Public Internship

The purpose of the SECU Fellows Public Internship is to connect talented undergraduates with local leadership in order for the students to obtain meaningful on-the-job experience and to build capacity for underserved areas and reduce the talent drain from rural communities in North Carolina.

Learn more

SECU Public Fellows Intern Program

The SECU Foundation promotes local and community development by primarily funding high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services. The State Employees’ Credit Union Board of Directors chartered the SECU Foundation to help identify and address community issues that are beyond the normal scope of State Employees’ Credit Union. While individual members may not have a large impact, collectively and cooperatively the Foundation can go a long way toward helping solve problems in our neighborhoods, schools and our community at large.

Learn more

Appalachian’s Staci Hunter selected for SECU Public Fellows Internship

May 17, 2018

As part of her SECU Public Service Fellow Internship, Staci Hunter ’18 — a recent graduate of Appalachian’s criminal justice program — interned at the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office during spring 2018.

Read the story

About the Career Development Center

The Career Development Center at Appalachian State University supports the mission of the university and its Division of Student Affairs in developing lifelong learners and leaders by engaging and challenging students within a culture of care and inclusion. Students who participate in the center’s services are able to identify core values, beliefs and skills and use them to articulate relatable career goals; acquire transferable skills and relevant experiences for future professional endeavors; and utilize resources that are available to gain experiential learning opportunities and cultivate professional networks. Learn more at https://careers.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

“The intern experience greatly enhances students’ education and future career. It has been a real joy to provide students with this opportunity, to see their accomplishments and watch where their career paths move forward.”

Dr. Susan McCracken, director of career development and economic engagement at App State, on students’ participation in the SECU Public Fellows Intern Program.

App State’s 2021 SECU Public Fellows interns

The following App State students and alumni served local and regional communities during spring and summer 2021 as participants in the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Intern Program.

The program is designed to help students develop their professional skills as they work with leaders of community-based businesses, nonprofits or government agencies, and students receive funding to support themselves during the internship.

Brielle Kaluzny ’21, of Wilmington, worked for the Guardian Ad Litem Program in the Avery County Courthouse in Newland. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Sarah Wilson ’21, of Hickory, interned at the Conover School in Newton-Conover. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Jessica Bravo ’21, of Charlotte, interned at Care Ring, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Samantha Joyce ’21, of Mount Airy, interned at the Shelter Home of Caldwell County in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Emily Rodriguez ’21, of Boone, interned at Caldwell County Department of Social Services. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Megan Broome ’21, of Cherryville, interned at Horizons Elementary School in Lenoir. She holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Shannon Callahan ’21, of Boone, interned at the Wilkes County Public Library in North Wilkesboro. She is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Freddy Luviano ’21, of Statesville, interned at the Community Care Clinic in Boone. He is a social work graduate student and holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Caroline Johnson, of Rockwell, interned at Hardin Park Elementary School in Boone. She is a social work graduate student.
Ras-Solomon Tafari ’21, of Salisbury, interned at Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. He holds a B.S. in social work from App State.
Natalie Lambert ’21, of Randolph, interned at the Asheboro Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Emily McAbee ’21, of Buncombe, interned at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Boone. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Mary McCullough, of Rowan, interned at Rowan County Department of Social Services. She is a senior criminal justice major.
Andrew Plettner, of Mecklenburg, interned at Ashe County Government. He is a senior political science major.
Alicia Heath ’21, of Craven, interned at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.
Sophie Sheperd ’21, of Mecklenburg, interned at Gaston County Police Department. She holds a B.S. in criminal justice from App State.