In the summer of 2025, a new cohort of UNC Asheville students will spend time interning at 20 local agencies or nonprofit organizations that serve rural North Carolinians through the State Employee Credit Union (SECU) Public Fellows Internship Program.

The SECU Foundation awarded $110,000 which covers the students’ hourly wages, summer tuition for an internship course, professional development for students and supervisors, and opportunities to learn more about rural North Carolina and reflect on their future career.

Students accepted into the program earn $16.50 an hour to work 300 hours and gain meaningful on-the-job experience. They also earn three academic credit hours by taking a course specifically designed to ensure they get the most out of their internship experience.

“Almost 100 UNC Asheville students over the last five years have had their lives changed and career paths opened because of their participation in the SECU Public Fellows Internship Program,” said Lisa Mann, director of the UNC Asheville Career Center. “This program makes it possible for internships to have a true impact on our community, which is more important for Western North Carolina now than ever. We are grateful to the SECU Foundation for continuing to offer this grant funding to UNC Asheville, and I can’t wait to see what this year’s cohort of interns will accomplish.”

This year’s positions include a Clean Energy Projects Intern at Land of Sky Regional Council, a STEAM Education Intern at Asheville Museum of Science, and a Graphic Design Development Intern at Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy, among many others.

In addition to giving back to the community, students have a chance to apply knowledge from the classroom in a hands-on setting. Indigo Lesser, an intern in the 2024 cohort, worked at Hinds Feet Farm, which provides day and residential holistic programs for people living with brain injury.

“The SECU Public Fellows Internship allowed me to directly work with and help members of our community while learning a lot about neuroscience and psychology, as well as practice implementing therapeutic interventions and gain experience working with individuals with disabilities,” Lesser said.

Learn more about the experiences of the 2024 interns in their own words .

Learn more about the SECU Public Fellows Internship program .