Stories from the field: College of Arts and Science students spend their summers interning, researching, and making a global impact
For many, summer is a time to soak up the sunshine, venture outside, and maybe even tackle the books on that lengthy “to be read” list. For students in the College of Arts and Science, summer presents a different opportunity: a chance to apply their skills and academic knowledge to real-world challenges, setting the stage for future career success.
With an emphasis on interdisciplinary, experiential, hands-on learning, the college encourages students to discover their passions, forge unexpected connections, and cross disciplinary boundaries. And this past summer, that is what they did.
Hear from a handful of students about how they made the most of their summer, what they learned along the way, and the impact those lessons have on their journey forward.
Chloe Whalen ’27, Communication of Science and Technology and Climate and Environmental Studies
Experience: National Institute of Standards and Technology fellowship
Location: Maryland
This summer, Whalen participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland. Whalen worked in the engineering laboratory with a team of scientists and students to investigate and analyze building system data, such as the performance of heating, cooling, lighting, and energy systems, and working to make this performance more energy efficient. Going into the fellowship, Whalen was looking forward to learning more about the field while gaining new experiences and information in a professional environment.
“This internship has opened up a wide range of potential fields to take my climate studies and CSET interests into that I would not have originally thought of as pertaining to these fields of study,” Whalen said. “My mentor and other collaborators at NIST were very interested in hearing about the CSET program, since public communication is something that a lot of researchers at NIST said they struggled with the most. I think this program at Vanderbilt is one that is special and stands out in professional settings because of its unique and specialized nature. Just as much as an internship may be valuable for figuring out what you do want to do as a future career, it’s also a good time to figure out what you may not want to do. That’s okay! Working in a limited position, both timeline-wise and content-wise, means it’s a good season of life to try new things without committing to anything long-term.”
Madelyn Bonadio ’26, Public Policy Studies
Experience: Researching international supply chain
Location: Singapore, Vietnam, Ghana
Bonadio spent her summer participating in the Summer Keegan Traveling Fellowship program, which awards students $5,000 to travel internationally and research a topic of their choosing. Bonadio studied the supply chain of fashion to understand how to reduce waste and mitigate humanitarian challenges. Her trip followed the life cycle of a garment from ideation to creation to disposal. She began the fellowship focusing on corporate social responsibility in Singapore, where many fast fashion giants hold major offices. From there, she traveled to Vietnam to learn about manufacturing from a leading country in clothing production. For her final stop, she traveled to Ghana to research its second-hand clothing economy.
“The Keegan Summer Fellowship was the single most impactful experience I have ever undertaken,” Bonadio said. “The combination of designing my own research on a topic I was passionate about, meeting people across cultures, and doing it all as a solo traveler was both challenging and rewarding. The fellowship gave me a deep sense of accomplishment, new friendships, and perspectives I wouldn’t have gained otherwise. I hope to transform my research into more proactive work. My newfound friendships from across the countries continue to sustain my understanding of the fashion supply chain. I am looking to plan events and student fashion initiatives in partnership with people I met in Ghana. After graduating this spring, I will pursue my passion for international policy and law.”
Braden Colli ’28, Cinema and Media Arts and Human and Organizational Development
Experience: Ingenuity Studios internship
Location: California
Colli interned at Ingenuity Studios in Hollywood, California, as a visual effects (VFX) intern. At the leading special effects studio, Colli had the opportunity to shadow the head of the motion graphics department and see first-hand everything that goes into making a scene from a movie. Colli saw first-hand how professionals in the field create their work and learned how to animate individual projects himself. He also received technical knowledge of various software, such as After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, and a 3D animation software called Blender.
“Going forward in my studies, I am now able to apply my newfound animation skillset into my videography on and off campus,” Colli said. “Animation is different from what I was used to. With videography, your job is to capture the environment in the most entertaining and interesting way. With VFX, you are able to fully customize the captured environment and even blend it with real life footage. I would recommend an internship to other students if there was something that really interests them. Internships are a great opportunity to build off foundations learned in class and see practically how they are used in real work environments.”
Joey Ravikoff ’28, Undeclared
Experience: Bronx District Attorney’s Office internship
Location: New York
Ravikoff spent his summer in the courthouse as part of his internship with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in the Special Victims Division. He was able to engage in the daily work of a prosecutor—sitting in on trials, hearings, sentencings, jury selections, and more. He met with public defenders, judges, police investigators, DNA specialists, and digital forensic experts, which he said helped him gain a better understanding of all aspects of the criminal justice system.
“Many of my friends and peers at other institutions didn’t pursue internships after their freshman year, not because they aren’t talented enough, but because it wasn’t the community that they were a part of,” Ravikoff said. “I came into Vanderbilt not knowing anything about career development or working an internship—I didn’t even have a resume. But being around the students at Vanderbilt helped show me what was out there, and how I could pursue different opportunities. The opportunities here at Vanderbilt helped make me a competitive applicant. In just one year, I was able to fill up my resume with an amazing list of clubs and research positions that helped me land the role, despite the fact that I was significantly younger than most of my peers.”
