North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Career and Professional Development Center has received $100,000 grant from the State Employee’s Credit Union (SECU) Foundation to provide paid internships for 20 students.
This is the second year the SECU Public Fellow Internship Program has offered NCCU undergraduate students from various academic areas the chance to learn about and engage with rural communities in North Carolina through 10-week internships. The fellowships are available to rising sophomores and juniors from North Carolina public universities and colleges.
“The SECU Public Fellows Internship Program provides NCCU an opportunity to enhance its strategic experiential learning initiatives that support for growth in rural counties,” said Shannon Morgan Keith, assistant director of experiential learning at NCCU.
In 2020, six NCCU social work students strengthened their skills by providing services as SECU interns for residents in Granville, Harnett, Pamlico and Wilson counties. The fellows worked alongside master’s-level social work students and other human service professionals in an integrated health care model assisting clients served by mental health agencies and social health agencies.
Recent graduate Alyssa McRae is now pursuing a master’s in social work after completed her internship with the Harnett County Department of Social Services.
“Participating in the SECU Public Fellow Internship Program was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to advance my knowledge of my future profession,” said McRae.
The SECU Public Fellows Internship program replaces the former SECU Public Service Intern program, which ended in 2014. 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 campuses, including NCCU, participate in the Public Fellows Internship Program.
