March 27, 2006

Students gain experience at central Illinois firms

by Laura Taylor

ARBONDALE, Ill. -- More than 150 Southern Illinois University Carbondale students last week spent Spring Break gaining valuable hands-on career experience through the SIU Alumni Association's extern program.

Externs spent the week at such offices as the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Attorney General's Office in Springfield, BLDD Architects Inc. in Decatur, Affina in Peoria, and Evergreen FS in Bloomington.

The extern program was established by the Alumni Association in 1984 and provides college juniors and seniors with the opportunity to gain invaluable real-world experience while still in school. Students are matched with successful SIUC alumni and friends around the country and give up their Spring Break in order to shadow professionals from their chosen career fields.

Providing students with career-planning services is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.

For more information about the extern program, contact the SIU Alumni Association at 618/453-2408.

 

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Extern Program 2006

Extern Sponsors

Central Illinois Area

City Company Name, Employee Sponsor

Bloomington Evergreen FS, Kendall Miller

Charleston University of Illinois,Cooperative Extension Sharon Kuhns

Decatur BLDD Architects Inc. Steven Oliver

Effingham Effingham Equity, Mike Tarter

Pontiac Interglobe Genetics, Bill Nolan

Rantoul Taylor Studios Inc. Melinda Anderson

Springfield Design Ideas, Chris Hardy

Hanson Professional Services, Brenda Kochman

IDOT, Danisha Miller

Illinois Attorney General's Office, Julie Moody

SIU School of Medicine, Prabodh Shah & Cheryl Matthews

 

St. John's Hospital, Tracie Sayre

Urbana University of Illinois, Gerald Pijanowski

For a complete list of national sponsors, contact the SIU Alumni Association at 618/453-2408.