North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Career and Professional Development Center has received $50,000 from the State Employee’s Credit Union (SECU) that will allow up to 10 students to participate in internships for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The SECU Public Fellow Internship Program provides undergraduate students from various disciplines with opportunities to learn about and engage with rural communities in North Carolina through 10-week paid internships. The fellowships are available to rising sophomores and juniors from North Carolina public universities and colleges.
Approximately six outstanding NCCU social work students will be given the opportunity to assess, intervene, and evaluate agency programs and services for residents in Granville, Harnett, Pamlico and Wilson counties.
“The SECU Public Fellows Intern program has had a meaningful impact on my college experience,” said past fellow DeAndre Lee. “As an NCCU social work student, I desire to work with mental health services and get involved with discussions of why the lack of mental health services is an issue and how it impacts the lives of so many, especially in rural area.”
“As a previous resident of a rural area myself, I’ve seen why rural settings need resources to assist people in the rural community. With my passion for helping others, the SECU Fellow Intern program is an excellent opportunity for me to connect with people who work within the rural population.”
The fellows work alongside master’s level social work students and other human service professionals as a part of an integrated health care model assisting clients served by mental health agencies and social health agencies. Students learn how social determinants of health impact the overall physical and psychological health of individuals in rural communities. Students also will create and implement an agency intervention project to address a specific need within the rural population.
The former SECU Public Service Intern program was replaced in summer 2015 with the SECU Public Fellows Internship program. The program is designed to connect interested, talented undergraduate students with local leaders for meaningful on-the-job experience with community agencies or organizations, while allowing them to give back to their communities.
Seven University of North Carolina System campuses, including NCCU, are now participating in the Public Fellows Internship Program.
