If you’ve had an awesome internship, consider writing an essay about it to possibly win a $750 or $1,500 scholarship. To be considered, submit a 750 word or less, double-spaced, 12-point font essay to career.development@biola.edu on the topic:

“How My Internship/Work Experience has Influenced My Career Choice.”

Deadline for submittal is November 15, 2010. You must include a cover page with the essay title, your name, Biola University, and the total number of words in the essay. Without this information your essay will be disqualified. Your essay will be evaluated by 6-person panel using the following criteria: (1) clear and well written, (2) level of analysis/reflection, (3) writing topic, (4) creativity, and (5) career impact. The scholarship is sponsored by the California Internship & Work Experience Association (CIWEA), which Biola is a member of, and you will be competing against essays submitted by students from Biola and other universities in California. Click here to read past winning essays.

The American approach to liberal arts education tries to prepare students both intellectually and professionally by offering a broad range of material…sort of like a buffet. “If colleges want to keep the buffet-style education but also tell parents that they understand how to move their graduates from lecture halls to cubicles…they should expand their acceptance of accredited internships or provide more financial compensation to unpaid internships. A summer at a non-profit think tank in DC is an education in policy, politics and the serpentine navigation of Senate offices.” In a world where internships are a requisite, colleges should step up internship financing.

Source: The Atlantic, 1/5/10