The best internship programs do more than prepare students for their first job. They introduce them to a place, connect employers to talent and can even change a student’s career trajectory. After spending this summer interning in Richmond, I learned that the impact of an internship can (and should) extend beyond the office.

When I moved across the country to begin my first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I thought my college experience would be defined by the sorority I rushed, the classes I took and beating Duke in basketball. And yes, those things have lived up to the hype. What I didn’t anticipate was how much of my time would be consumed by building a resume for my first postgraduate job, a job I had no clear picture of. Which, as amazing as my college experience has been, has made me feel like I’m in limbo.

Turns out, I’m not alone in this feeling. Earning a degree from a top university isn’t enough anymore; college graduates are now expected to have practical industry experience under their belt before graduation day.

For most students, this means an internship, which is not a new concept. The term “intern” itself dates to 1879, while internships didn’t expand past medicine and into other professions until 1963. By 1992, 17% of graduating college students participated in an internship; today, that number is around 84%. Internships are a sought-after bridge between education and employment, benefiting both students and employers. They are LinkedIn bragging rights, flooding feeds with the same “I’m excited to announce …” posts. And they’re not going anywhere.

I completed two internships this summer, one with The Hodges Partnership, a Richmond-based PR agency in Scott’s Addition, and a remote marketing internship with Clean Water Environmental Services, a national brand based in Denver, Colorado.

Take a friend’s story, for example. She landed her “dream internship” at a large wealth management firm and was brutally disappointed to realize it wasn’t the industry for her. But instead of writing off the experience, she took what she learned about what she didn’t like and used it to pivot. Now she’s in a postgraduate role she adores, which she found through a connection at her previous internship.

The story proves that an internship is about the roots that grow during a 12-week program. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in YRichmond, a ChamberRVA intern cohort focused on exploring Richmond, professional development and networking across the Richmond business region.

What YRichmond is doing is brilliant. For interns in a new city, internships are essentially a postgraduate preview. So, shouldn’t employers be doing everything in their power to help interns fall in love with the place, not just the job?

Originally from Colorado, I spent this summer in Richmond for my first extended stay. I fell for the dining scene, sunset walks on Monument Avenue and the exuberant community pride. I attribute much of that adoration to YRichmond, which has convinced me that peer cities like Raleigh and Pittsburgh stand to take notes from RVA.

The numbers support the case for internships, too. Here in Virginia, 50% of interns convert to full-time hires, and 80% of employers say internships provide the best returns on talent investment. But the benefits don’t end with your first postgraduate job. In 2025, nationally, professionals who completed internships reported higher career satisfaction and salaries.

For employers interested in building an internship program, intentionality matters. Interns should feel comfortable not only learning, but also sharing the talents they bring from the classroom. As an experienced intern myself, I can tell you that the best internships give students autonomy over their work and assign them a mentor they can turn to with questions, even after their program’s end date. Let interns sit-in on client meetings, bring them to events and welcome them as you would any full-time employee. When employers integrate interns into their work and culture, students leave with tangible experience and confidence.

And Virginia is noticing the value of that exchange and is helping employers invest. In February 2026, InternshipsVA launched with a commitment to invest $14.5 million annually to expand paid internship opportunities. Employers are embracing the initiative, and within the first four months, over 250 employers applied for matching grants, creating over 600 internships.

Turns out, the uncomfortable limbo feeling doesn’t really end after one internship, or two, and it most likely won’t when I’m wearing a Carolina blue graduation gown in May. But this summer in Richmond, I started seeing it as something to embrace and was reminded that growth lives on the other side of discomfort. An internship in a new city is no exception, a kind of growth no resume line can capture.

Audrey Asbury is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying Media and Journalism and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She can be reached at aeasbury@unc.edu