2025 National Intern Day Celebration on July 24.
August 25, 2025
The 2025 New Haven Promise Internship season concluded on August 8 with a celebratory event at Davies Auditorium. The gathering marked the end of a summer rich with career exploration, impactful projects, and skill development for Promise interns. It also offered an opportunity for interns and managers to reflect on and share their experiences.
This year, the collaborative effort between New Haven Promise and the New Haven Hiring Initiative partnered with 39 Yale departments and with 22 local organizations to place 149 interns, 101 of whom were hosted by Yale. The growth of the program was made possible through the support of campus and community partners. Internships included both hybrid and on-site placements, offering students a variety of professional environments and learning experiences.
Throughout the summer, interns participated in robust professional and personal development Lunch and Learns. Workshop topics included Self-Advocacy in the Workplace, Workforce Culture, LinkedIn Branding, Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace, and Project Management & Leadership. These sessions provided essential tools to help interns prepare for the next steps in their academic and professional journeys.
Yale HR Rotational Interns Jamilex Ortega and Everia Benjamin planned and hosted the 2025 Nation.
Interns also made tangible contributions within their host departments. For example, Yale HR Rotational Interns Jamilex Ortega and Everia Benjamin supported initiatives across the New Haven Hiring Initiative, Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement & Workplace Culture, and Total Rewards. Over the summer, they built technical proficiency in Excel, strengthened their public-speaking skills, and explored content creation using Canva and Adobe tools. Their culminating project was the planning and execution of a community-wide National Intern Day celebration on July 24. See photos for National Intern Day!
The season closed with final presentations and written evaluations. Managers praised interns for their professionalism, creativity, and meaningful contributions, while interns consistently noted the supportive environments and valuable learning experiences.
One highlight of the finale was Promise’s annual Pecha Kucha competition, where interns delivered 20-slide presentations with 20 seconds per slide. Winners included:
- Anna Omelchenko – Yale Finance
- Barbara Hawke Lopez – Yale Center for Molecular Discovery
- Gian Rodriguez – Yale Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Rahil Patel & Yanit Vasquez – Yale ITS – Centrak DSP
- Wazhma Naseeri – Yale West Campus – Liu Lab
Reflections from participants were widely shared on LinkedIn:
Shelagh Laverty, Yale University Press intern, wrote: “I cannot believe it’s already August. I’m so happy that I spent it at Yale University Press. I learned so much from my mentors, my peers, and all the titles I read.”
Anthony B., a Process Excellence Intern in Yale Finance, expressed gratitude to his supervisors: “I’ve built a strong professional network because of them; I’ll always remember the support they’ve provided.”
Gabrielle Doctor, an intern at the Yale School of Art, reflected: “From the kind and welcoming staff to the insightful projects I had the opportunity to work on, I’ve gained valuable skills and perspectives that I’ll carry with me into my academic and professional journey.”
Janet Darden Gipson, Head of Talent Acquisition and keynote speaker at the finale breakfast, summarized the summer’s spirit in her post: “Success Leaves Signals—and So Did These Interns!” In her words:
“I encouraged students to tune in to the quiet but consistent cues that shape our careers—like the job offer I didn’t get, the mentor who invested in me without being asked, and the promotions or feedback that show up in unexpected forms.” She also highlighted the importance of building a strong digital presence through LinkedIn and the Yale Talent Network.
In all, Summer 2025 was a resounding success for New Haven Promise, the New Haven Hiring Initiative, 100+ interns, and more than 75 engaged managers. Planning is already underway to build on this strong foundation next summer. See more photos from New Haven Promise summer internships.
