Internships turn summer into a steppingstone
Published July 29, 2025
Summer is the time to get busy. Many College of Lake County (CLC) students use summer break to put what they’re learning in classes to use and get real-life experience through internships.
As students build their resumes for when they finish their credential, one of the best ways to make their mark with an employer is to show experience. Internships are a great option for students before obtaining a degree in their field.
“A summer internship is a good way to use my downtime,” Alex Murphy of Lake Villa said. “I don’t usually have a lot going on in the summer, and with an internship, I can make extra money while getting work experience.”
Murphy found his internship on campus at CLC. He was a student worker in desktop services before becoming an intern for the last two summers. Passionate about working with computers and having strong technical skills led Murphy to study computer information technology.
Murphy gets to do a little bit of everything. His day-to-day responsibilities involve working on submitted requests for help, answering in-the-moment calls for classroom emergencies, and other various IT tasks.
“This internship is perfect because 90% of what I’m doing now relates to what I want to do with my career,” Murphy said.
For another student, a lack of experience working in horticulture was the main driving force for Karina Zapata of Waukegan getting an internship at Elawa Farm in Lake Forest. She applied for the position because it seemed like it would cover different aspects of the career path, and she could get a taste of everything in one summer.
“I had never had exposure to jobs in my field before,” Zapata said. “The work is very hands on, and I needed that.”
Zapata’s interest in horticulture comes from her mom’s love of plants. As a child, whenever they moved, she remembered all of the plants her mom would bring with her.
Like Murphy, Zapata has been able to do a variety of tasks in her internship including harvesting, weeding, taking care of animals like chickens and goats, working farmers markets on weekends, watering and just about everything she could imagine. Every day, she learns something she didn’t know before.
“Internships are great to do because it's a foot in the door,” Zapata said. “If you don’t have a lot of work experience in your field, you can learn on the job. If all goes well, you could get offered a job and if not, you can bring the experience with you. It’s going to give me a leg up after graduation.”
CLC assists students in the internship process through the Career and Job Placement Center (CJPC).
Watch the latest video to learn more about the CJPC.
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