Collegian file photo.
CHRIS BROWN | STAFF REPORTER | cbbrown@butler.edu
Butler’s Indy Summer Experience program, run by Internship and Career Services each year, allows students to combine a summer internship or similar professional experience with various social and cultural experiences throughout the city of Indianapolis.
Program coordinator Andy Cassler explained that there are three main aspects of the program. The first is that students complete an internship or similar professional-related experience. The second aspect is to help students explore Indianapolis, while the third is to provide key networking opportunities.
This year’s program will include six weeknight evening events and a few weekend morning service projects.
All Butler students who will not have graduated before the program begins in June are eligible to apply for the approximately seven-week program. The application deadline for this year’s ISE has already passed, but the long-standing program, previously known as Brain Gain, is expected to continue for years to come.
The program itself, which accepts roughly 20 students from among the applications, is no cost to students. Participants have to arrange for their own housing and cover their living expenses.
After learning about ISE just one day before the application deadline Spring 2016, Adam Bantz, junior strategic communication major, who had already secured an internship in Indianapolis for the summer, applied and was accepted into ISE.
Bantz said he enjoyed exploring the city through the program, and encouraged other Butler students to take advantage of the opportunity.
“I had a great time participating in the ISE program and would absolutely recommend it to any and all fellow Butler students, regardless of academic college or major,” Bantz said.
He added that fewer distractions makes the summer an ideal time to explore what Indianapolis has to offer.
“Our university is located just minutes away from countless opportunities, and we need to start taking advantage of them,” he said.
Senior economics major Connie Frank, who interned with CNO Financial Group, echoed Bantz’s sentiment about the social aspects of the program. She also described the professional benefit it had for her.
“I think the internship helped form what I wanted to do post grad, being here in Indy and being able to establish that network,” Frank said.
As part of the program, Butler alumni and other professionals are brought in to interact and network with the students. That’s something Frank said was a great help for her.
“Being able to speak about what I’ve done, what my goals are, and being able to speak casually about that really helped going into internships, career fairs, and all of that sort of thing,” she said.
Cassler explained how the program works to combine both what Bantz and Frank described.
“It’s another chance to have some social interaction with other Butler students as well as alumni or other professionals and to explore Indianapolis,” Cassler said.
Cassler also said that it’s about learning about the nature of career paths. He noted that the professional journey “is not point A to point B,” but rather often very winding.
“[It’s important] to let students know that that’s true across the board, even if you think that [your] major is very linear,” Cassler said. “That’s ok, and it can lead to really neat things.”
