VGCC Student Selected for Government Internship
Vance-Granville Community College student Dana Nicole Allen of Creedmoor has been selected for a summer internship with the Tourism, Film and Sports Development division of the state Department of Commerce. Four hundred seventy college students across North Carolina applied to the 2007 North Carolina State Government Internship Program, and only one hundred received internships. In 2006, only six students from state community colleges were selected for these coveted positions. Allen is scheduled to graduate from Vance-Granville this month with a Business Administration degree, and she will go on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at North Carolina State University in the fall. She is also a part-time open lab technician at the Franklin County Campus. When not in class or working at the Louisburg campus, Allen keeps busy working at her family’s convenience store. Allen has a 3.9 grade point average and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. Allen began attending classes at VGCC in the fall of 2005 on a part-time basis. She enjoyed her business classes, particularly with instructor Roxanne Jackson, who is also her adviser. After spending a majority of her semesters at the Franklin campus, she attended college transfer classes at the college’s main campus in Vance County in spring 2007.The Raleigh internship starts May 29 and lasts for 10 weeks. “I am so happy and excited!” Allen said. “This is such a great opportunity for me, and I hope I can do Vance-Granville and the Business Technologies program proud. Tourism is such a growing industry, and I will be exploring new fields of interest for myself.” Allen’s internship will expose her to North Carolina’s tourism industry, which generated $14.2 billion in spending in 2005, according to state officials. She will interact with and complete projects for managers of the Tourism Division’s various sections, including Visitor Services, Heritage Tourism, International Marketing, Publications, Public Relations, Wine and Grape Council, and the State Film Office. Allen was also excited to learn that included in the internship is an invitation to a reception at the Governor’s Executive Mansion in July.Since 1969, over 3,300 college and law students have gone through the State Government Internship Program. It may be the oldest and largest paid internship program of any state government in the United States.The makeup of the NC Internship Council, which oversees the program, is unique. The council includes former interns, a legislator, a judge (who also is a former intern), several college professors, and college career development professionals. The Internship Council chooses the projects and interns, thus keeping the program fair and patronage free.Many former interns have accepted full time state jobs at their internship sites after graduation. Several members of the North Carolina General Assembly were also once interns in the program.Through a competitive application process, qualified students in a full range of academic majors are selected for internships in North Carolina State Government agencies. Internship positions are based on project proposals submitted by agency personnel and are designed to provide substantive and career-relevant learning experiences. In addition to developing practical workplace skills in a variety of professional areas, interns are effectively introduced to career options in public service and in the North Carolina State Government system. While service to state government agencies is a valuable outcome of the Internship Program, the program’s primary focus is to provide opportunities for students to build career-enhancing and leadership skills while benefiting from the civic experience. To be eligible to apply, students must have completed their first year of classes, and must be attending college the next fall semester. Eligible applicants for fall, spring, and summer internships can check out upcoming projects by visiting www.ncyaio.com and clicking on “internships.”Above: Dana Allen works as an open lab technician at Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin County Campus in Louisburg. (VGCC Photo)
