Carolina Covenant scholars Austin Roebuck (left) and Makeda Endalkachew (right) said their respective summer internships at the ArtsCenter and UNC Hospitals have helped them prepare for future careers. (Jeyhoun Allebaugh/UNC-Chapel Hill)
The inaugural Town-Gown internship program partners Carolina Covenant students with Chapel Hill and Carrboro workplaces.
From art classrooms to operating rooms, Carolina Covenant scholars are getting to work this summer around Chapel Hill and Carrboro — and getting paid.
Thanks to a generous anonymous gift, the Covenant launched the inaugural Town-Gown professional development initiative, funding summer internships for 10 scholars with local businesses, nonprofits and governmental bodies.
Students like sophomore Austin Roebuck at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro and junior Makeda Endalkachew at UNC Hospitals are developing professional skills and shaping career plans. Other partners include KLG Candies (the business behind Chapel Hill Toffee), the Town of Carrboro and BOLD Construction.
The initiative is the latest example of how the Covenant is not only a financial aid package enabling scholars to graduate debt-free but also a network of support for its students.
“This is such an amazing and healthy work environment,” said Roebuck of the ArtsCenter, an arts education nonprofit. He guides and supervises children at summer camps and aids the center’s day-to-day business operations.
At dismissal one July day, Roebuck chatted with parents picking up their children, offering compliments on the campers’ projects.
“Juniper, that is so cool!” Roebuck told one proudly displaying her craft.
Amelia Shull, deputy director of the ArtsCenter, says “it’s a real gift” to work with an intern “you can hand real work to,” one the nonprofit otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.
Roebuck, a native of Windsor, North Carolina, is creating a curriculum covering the intersection of art and literacy for the ArtsCenter’s school outreach program as his summer project.
Austin Roebuck assists with a sewing class at the ArtsCenter on July 16. A Carolina sophomore, Roebuck helps campers and assists with the ArtsCenter’s day-to-day operations as an intern. (Jeyhoun Allebaugh/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Aspiring doctor sees teamwork up close
Endalkachew didn’t plan on a summer internship but learned about the Town-Gown initiative during the spring semester. The native of Falls Church, Virginia, was pleased with how the Covenant took her academic and career interests into account in placing her with the perioperative services team at UNC Hospitals.
A psychology major and chemistry minor who plans to attend medical school, Endalkachew works with this group responsible for patient care before, during and after surgery. She’s spent 50-plus hours shadowing healthcare professionals in operating rooms and witnessing surgeries.
“I’m very grateful I was able to see all the work that happens in a hospital and how it comes from a team and not just a doctor,” Endalkachew said.
Seeing is key to learning when it comes to procedures like neurovascular surgery.
“I was talking to a med school student, and he was teaching me about every single thing that was happening in the surgery,” Endalkachew said. “He was showing me X-rays, giving me a bunch of guidance and telling me about the precautions I should be following. Everybody here is very nice and loves to teach other people. That’s one of my favorite things about UNC Hospitals.”
One mentor is Sara Beland ’15 (MHA), UNC Health’s associate vice president for perioperative services, who’s connecting Endalkachew with medical labs on campus for future research opportunities.
Junior Makeda Endalkachew (right) has received mentorship from Sara Beland ’15 (MHA) (center) during her internship with the perioperative services team at UNC Hospitals. (Jeyhoun Allebaugh/UNC-Chapel Hill)
As part of a capstone for the Town-Gown initiative, Endalkachew will present an evaluation of the surgical timeout process: the period when healthcare professionals pause to verify important patient and procedure details before beginning surgery. She’s conducted a literature review, designed and distributed surveys, analyzed data and completed observational audits.
The lessons learned are shaping her understanding of what it means to be a doctor.
“Physicians can improve healthcare — not only through patient care but also through system improvements,” Endalkachew said.
Former Covenant scholar Michelle Brown ’18 helped connect participating organizations with the Covenant as director of business engagement and workforce development at the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
“The Town-Gown initiative demonstrates the full circle of return on investment from scholars, alumni and partners,” said Candice Williams, Carolina Covenant director. “These internships are producing outstanding future professionals, like Michelle, who we hope will want to share their experience and wisdom with future generations of Covenant scholars.”
Originally published by Brennan Doherty, University Communications and Marketing.
Related Stories
