Perhaps the biggest bummer of 2020 was that most Chapman students made exactly $0 last summer.
Internships and job opportunities were cancelled and it’s been a grind to find them since.
But now, vaccines are flying off the shelves like half-priced candy and Covid is being defeated one shot in the arm at a time. So what does this mean for work this summer?
Well for some, like senior Elle Uyeda, it doesn’t mean anything.
Not only was her marketing internship in Laguna Beach cancelled last year, but the company gave her a second chance at it this summer, only for it to be cancelled again.
Uyeda is frustrated. Can you blame her?
“I was more annoyed this time because in my opinion they have had plenty of time to readjust their internship program to be done remotely,” she said.
Others lucked out.
Like sophomore Lily José whose physical therapy internship out of Palo Alto is not only happening, but is happening in-person.
“The clinic is in person because it is considered a part of the health care tier and so all of the people working in it are fully vaccinated,” said José, who was recently vaccinated herself.
It seems José is a part of a slim Chapman population with the ability to go in person for work this summer.
According to Nathaly Del Real, Internship Coordinator from Chapman’s Office of Career and Professional Development, of the 437 Chapman students that registered their spring internships for academic credit, 146 reported their various internship formats.
15% of them reported their job is a mix of remote and in-person work (hybrid), 66% have stayed completely remote, and a meager 19% get to go into the office.
“Based on these current spring internship trends, we foresee that most summer internships will continue to be hybrid or remote,” said Del Real.
Instead of cancelling programs like many companies did last summer, Del Real said that employers are “redesigning” internship programs to fit “our current situation.”
But still, nothing is guaranteed.
Sarah Connolly, a sophomore chemistry major, is also navigating our current situation while on the job hunt in her hometown of Boston, but has not yet secured anything.
“I really want to gain some hands-on lab experience, especially since I wasn’t able to take in-person lab classes this year because of Covid,” said Connolly.
Oh, you mean watching an experiment through a lagging Zoom camera isn’t the same? Weird.
Connolly is vaccinated, which should help her case in her summer job hunt, but as she continues her search for work, she has yet to see any vaccine requirements.
Del Real describes the discussion of a vaccination mandate as a “hot topic” in the job industry right now.
Are vaccination cards on their way to becoming America’s newest form of identification?
Only time will tell.
As we move toward regaining control of our lives and move away from the Covid-19 era, it is looking more hopeful for Chapman students to make up their losses from last summer’s lack of income.
But again, only time will tell.
Mia Fowler is a senior studying business and journalism. When she’s not in the classroom, you can find her on the soccer field where she is finishing up her last season with The Panthers.
Mia Fowler is a senior studying business and journalism. When she's not in the classroom, you can find her on the soccer field where she is finishing up her last season with The Panthers.