The 2025 Altman cohort wrapped up the Rising Sophomore Study Abroad Program in Merida, Mexico, in June. This left us wondering: what's next?

The Altman Program encourages students to focus on academics early in their college career and to hold internships as upper classmen. However, some rising sophomores found opportunities that were too good to pass up. A few members of the cohort shared their summer plans with us:

Serena Saul is working as a Legal Intern at a personal injury law firm in her hometown of Davie, FL.

“I'm mainly responsible for calling medical providers and confirming billing balances, drafting complaints and letters we send to insurance companies, and helping my boss with Spanish translation because he is not bilingual and in South Florida, we have a ton of Spanish speakers!!”

“I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was 14. The head attorney at the firm is a close family friend so I asked if it would be possible for me to come in for a few days, maybe sit in on a few depositions or mediations, and he offered me the position instead. I was super excited, and it has been a really great experience!! I am learning a lot about the process behind starting and finishing lawsuits, and learning what it's like to work in a real-world setting (ie sometimes people don't answer phone calls, and there is a huge learning curve whenever you start new positions...)”

“I am also shadowing a family law judge. She offered to be my mentor and let me sit in on hearings as well as take me to judge events where I can meet other judges.”

Ayanna Hill is working with Youth International Leadership Initiative (YILI) as an Internal Events Officer, a remote position that she will hold until October. She says, “YILI is a non-profit organization that seeks to increase the involvement of diverse students and young professionals from Middle America in International Affairs careers.”

As far as her responsibilities, Ayanna includes these items on her to-do list: “Lead and coordinate the execution of virtual social and topical events throughout the fellowship program, collaborate with partner organizations on virtual event logistics, contact speakers and work with board members to present information to fellows, and ensure that YILI offers a warm and welcoming experience for the public at our virtual events.”

“I have developed a love for the broad field of International Relations over the past four years, and I wanted to find a way in which I could explore more about the area while also playing an active role. When I was presented with the opportunity to work with YILI, I knew that I was bound to learn more about International Relations and my future and encourage others to learn and make progress for their futures.”

“I believe the work YILI does will provide excellent opportunities for this year's fellows. I am grateful to have the chance to work on a team with many other exceptional individuals.”

Abbey Hochreiner is a Loan Program Intern at BOC Capital Corporation. She says, “BOC Capital is a non-profit that improves business opportunities for minority, women, immigrant, and low-income entrepreneurs. It provides small business loans, practical business advice, and hands-on assistance to those locked out of conventional credit markets. BOC Capital is based in Brooklyn, NY, but I work remotely. I applied through Tulane’s Remote Industry Program, and BOC Capital was immediately my top choice because of its commitment to improving the economic prospects of traditionally underserved groups. I was also interested in working with both non-profit and for-profit businesses. As a Loan Program Intern, my main role is to conduct the annual summer survey, which gathers information on each loan client’s income, expenses, and number of employees. I will then compile, analyze, and distribute this data to financial counselors. I started this position after I returned from Mérida (mid-June), and I will hold this position until the end of the summer. I am already learning so much, and I am so excited to start communicating with loan clients and learning more about BOC Capital’s impact!”

Anna Hobbins is volunteering at Voces de la Frontera. She says, “Voces de la Frontera is a Milwaukee-based immigration rights community organization focusing on community organizing and empowerment. I am volunteering specifically with the Voces’ New Americans Program to teach citizenship classes to eligible immigrants who have been permanent residents for many years in the Wisconsin area. Every student is at a different point in the journey toward citizenship, so I work one on one with people of all ages to practice each section of the Citizenship test. All my students speak Spanish and limited English, so most of my work deals with translating forms for them, correcting writing samples, and practicing pronunciation. The test is long, exhaustive, exclusively in English, and proctored by oftentimes hostile immigration agents. Our job at Voces de la Frontera is to guide students toward confidence so they may be as prepared as possible to achieve citizenship. As an aspiring immigration lawyer, I knew I wanted to learn more about the citizenship process and connect with the community I hope to serve in the future. Voces has given me the opportunity to stretch my Spanish skills while making a tangible difference in the lives of my students.”

Arianna Smith landed an internship with Emerson Collection, an organization that focuses on social justice initiatives.

“I’m working with the Philanthropy team at Emerson, specifically supporting a project focused on the sustainability and impact of independent bookstores. I’ve been mainly conducting research on the independent bookstore industry and online book communities, aiming to provide education and resources to independent bookstores. I’m continuing to meet with bookstore owners and collaborators.

“There have been program-wide sessions with experts who work on some of Emerson’s other issue areas, such as education, immigration reform, criminal justice, gun violence, and racial equality. I’ve also benefitted from various career exploration sessions, a mentorship program, chats with Emerson employees across many sectors, and learning from my fellow interns working in Palo Alto, CA.

“I applied to this internship because I wanted the opportunity to incorporate one of my biggest passions (reading and independent bookstores) while learning more about the world of philanthropy and the skills needed to be successful in it as a potential future career field. I had been aware of the breadth of Emerson’s work for a while, and wanted to be able to take away a bit from every field they’re involved in so that I could be exposed to maximum possibilities. I also appreciate the community and extracurricular learning ECYC provides.

“My project requires a lot of independent research and writing, and I’ve gained experience preparing for and leading calls with professionals. The importance of being able to articulate your work and why it’s valuable has been stressed, and I’m more able to talk more about my own experiences and where I want to go from here.

“I’ve really been focused on learning from the people around me: employees about how they got to where they are now and why they chose this career path, and other interns about goals for the future and actions they’re taking on their college campuses.

“And of course, my reading list has grown exponentially in the process of exploring individual bookstores and the whole industry.”