Chentian standing in the new york harbor with the city in his background. he is smiling.

Students use scholarships for valuable internships

This summer, UW–Madison launched the Summer Internship Scholarship, designed to support students seeking to advance their professional experience and learning with awards of up to $1,500 to supplement unpaid or underpaid internships.

Meet some of the inaugural recipients of these scholarships and see how students are thriving in their internships and classes and living their best summer lives!

Mari Cole

Major: Biology
Internship: Sports nutrition intern at Training Haus

Mari is a sports nutrition intern at Training Haus in Eagan, Minn. She sits in on appointments, runs a fueling station for athletes and provides nutritional information sessions. She also creates informative materials to educate patrons and creates and shares recipes with athletes.

The scholarship has enabled her to pursue this unpaid opportunity while affording her courses. Mari is taking KINES 387 The Young Athlete: Considerations for Exercise, Medicine, and Activity and NUTR SCI 431 Nutrition in the Life Span online this summer to study nutrition and athlete health, perfectly aligning with her internship experience. Hailing from nearby Andover, Minn., Mari is thankful to be near home and family this summer, where she enjoys camping and hiking at a nearby lake as well as sharing recipes, insights and workout advice on her new page @fuelwellbymari on Instagram. The highlight of her summer has been running the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth!

Shukai Yuchi

Major: Neurobiology
Internship: Intern at Oakhill Correctional Institute

Two people standing in front of green trees and a blue sky, smiling — Shukai and his girlfriend hiking at Devil’s Lake State Park.

Shukai is interning at the Oakhill Correctional Institute in Oregon, Wis., focusing on alcohol and drug abuse programming using cognitive behavioral therapy. His role includes co-facilitating program meetings and participating in role-playing activities to urge offenders to take time to think before acting.

The scholarship has alleviated financial pressure, making it easier for his family to afford out-of-state tuition. Originally from Beijing, China, Shukai has lived in Naperville, Ill., for the past seven years and is currently living in Madison. He spends his time outside of class with his girlfriend, watching shows and movies, and recently finished Ted Lasso. He is also working as an EMT and taking CS&D 210 Neural Basis of Communication, LEGAL ST 426 The History of Punishment and LEGAL ST 694 Criminal Justice Field Observation.

Carmen Raya

Majors: Education Studies; Spanish; Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies; and Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies
Internship: Assistant academic advisor at Fulbright Commission in Chile

Carmen bundled up and standing in front of a blue sky with rocks below her feet. — Carmen on an excursion led by IES to San Pedro de Atacama high in the Andes Mountains.

Carmen is interning with the Fulbright Commission in Chile as their assistant academic advisor through the UW-Madison International Academic Programs and IES Abroad Santiago. The Fulbright Commissions are independent, binational foundations that plan and implement educational exchanges in partnership with the U.S.

Her work includes facilitating English conversations for Fulbrighters heading to the U.S. for their doctorates and creating transition guides for commission roles. Carmen values the cross-cultural skills gained through this experience, which the scholarship made possible by helping cover her expenses for interning abroad. Originally from Los Angeles, she is taking International Studies 523: Culture and the Global Workplace, an online class that has helped her reflect on her experience and identity as a student abroad.

Chentian Wu

Majors: Math and Computer Science
Internship: Research intern at Purdue University

Chentian smiling, sitting in a cafe — Chentian in one of his favorite cafes.

Chentian is a research intern at Purdue University, focusing on program synthesis, a new area in Programming Language Theory using symbolic methods to automatically create decision-making formulas from multiple inputs.

The scholarship has been crucial in renting a high-performance server critical for his research, and it allows him to spend less time working and more time on research and classes. He needs that extra time, as he is taking Comp Sci 564 Database Management Systems: Design and Implementation, Curric 277 Videogames & Learning, and Nursing 105 Health Care Systems: Interdisciplinary Approach courses this summer, as he intends to graduate a semester early. Originally from Jiangsu, China, Chentian recently transferred from Nanjing University. He lives in Madison and enjoys playing badminton and pursuing his interests in logic and formal methods through studies and projects in his own time.

Jim Jia

Majors: Political Science and Philosophy
Internship: Paralegal at Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Jim standing in his office at the department of natural resources — Jim at his office in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Jim is a paralegal at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Madison, where he primarily handles public records requests and ensures records compliance. Outside of work, he volunteers at the Human Rights Research Center, researching and publishing articles on human rights violations in China.

The scholarship has been instrumental in covering his out-of-state tuition and daily expenses and providing a sense of security and belonging. As a first-generation student from China, Jim was vocal about human rights abuses before moving to Wisconsin, which led to his censorship on the Chinese internet. This scholarship allows him to stay in Wisconsin for the summer, where he feels safer publishing his work. He is currently taking INTER-LS 260, a course focused on writing and reflecting on his internship, and is passionate about environmental justice and human rights advocacy.

Interested in an internship scholarship next year?

The Summer Internship Scholarship has opened doors for these and other students, providing them with the chance to gain invaluable experiences and develop their professional skills. From Santiago, Chile, to Madison, Wisconsin, these internships have allowed students to engage in meaningful work, explore new cultures and deepen their academic knowledge.

If you want to explore an internship that’s unpaid or underpaid next summer, consider applying for the Summer Internship Scholarship. Applicants must be:

Enrolled at UW–Madison pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Enrolled in at least one UW–Madison summer course (including internship courses) for 2025.
Working on an internship for 10 hours/week minimum; 6 weeks minimum; cannot be for internship post-graduation.

For more information, visit the Summer Internship Scholarship page or contact summerterm@wisc.edu with questions.

Learn more about UW–Madison Summer Term. Share your Summer Term story. Tag @uwsummer and #MyBadgerSummer on Instagram and show us what you’re up to this summer.