Paid internships offer transformative opportunities for UTSA students

OCTOBER 22, 2024 — Commencement is still more than a year away for UTSA junior Jose Morales, but he can already envision his future. A paid summer internship with Procter and Gamble (P&G) left a lasting impression on the Brownsville, Texas native.

“One thing I learned this summer was that not only do you have to be enjoying the work you do, but you should also be enjoying the environment that you do it in,” Morales said.

Morales is one of the many UTSA students who are building their resumes with a paid internship. UTSA provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Heather Shipley says these opportunities are transformative and can provide a pathway to meaningful careers.

“I’ve seen firsthand how these opportunities transform students’ lives, giving them the tools, networks and confidence to transition from education to meaningful, well-paying careers.”

“Paid internships are more than just work experience; they serve as a vital resource for many students, offering both career development and essential financial support,” Shipley said. “This dual benefit empowers them to excel academically and make meaningful contributions to their families, their communities and the economy."

According to UTSA’s Employer Engagement team, 100% of the university’s corporate partners offer paid internships. Mario Vela, assistant vice provost of career engaged learning, says that corporate partners who want to recruit UTSA students are strongly encouraged to offer paid internships.

“These efforts are designed to eliminate financial barriers, allowing all students the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience and accelerate their career trajectories,” Vela said. “I’ve seen firsthand how these opportunities transform students’ lives, giving them the tools, networks and confidence to transition from education to meaningful, well-paying careers.”

Morales benefited from the resources provided by the University’s Career Center to find an opportunity at Procter and Gamble. His original application for an exclusive four-day experience at the company’s facilities in Utah turned into an internship offer for the following summer.

Despite interest from other employers, the UTSA undergraduate was able to assess his value as a prospective employee.

“The offer was way better than what most companies were offering because what I saw in their offer was complete support,” Morales said. “Not only was it a paid internship, but they also had health benefits, relocation assistance, as well as vehicle transport.”

Morales spent 12 weeks in Corinne, Utah at the company’s Box Elder Plant. There, he worked as a manufacturing intern assessing inventory, learning about logistics and troubleshooting. He was also given the opportunity to take a business trip to P&G’s corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“The dedication, money, time and resources they put into their employees, even if they're only interns, was incredible.”

An invaluable experience with a lasting impression. This is just one of the many vital benefits of a paid internship, according to associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies Vanessa Sansone.

“Paid internships give students an opportunity to understand what they want to do that they love,” she said. “Often times, we are led by money but, ultimately, we would be better off if we had prepared students to understand ‘is this something that I love?’”

As much as Procter and Gamble made an impact on Morales, the UTSA student demonstrated his value. He has been invited to return as an intern in the same business unit next summer.

“I am going forward with my offer, and it's a pretty big relief because it helps me just focus on school as opposed to looking for another internship next summer,” he said

It is another chance for Morales to showcase his abilities and potentially lead to a job offer and a fruitful career.

— John Elizondo