By Jack Frederick | August 19, 2026
Photo by Jeff Watts.
Do you have an internship lined up for this fall?
Eligible American University undergraduates can now apply for university funding designed to make high-quality professional experiences more accessible.
This week, the university launched the
AU Ready Internship Pledge, which provides every full-time undergraduate student with access to $4,500 in funding support while they are engaged in an unpaid or underpaid internship or research experience as early as their sophomore year.
Part of the university’s strategic plan, Meet Our Moment: American University’s Pledge to Our Students and Our World, the initiative reflects AU’s commitment to preparing students for purposeful lives and careers after graduation.
“The Internship Pledge support allows AU students the freedom to engage in an experience that they might not otherwise be able to pursue,” said Brian Rowe, director of experiential education and career advising in the AU Career Center.
By removing barriers associated with unpaid or underpaid opportunities, Rowe said, the Internship Pledge helps Eagles “build career-relevant skills, develop social capital through expanded professional networks, or explore a career field.”
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While 87 percent of AU students already complete at least one internship before graduation, the pledge aims to increase that figure to 95 percent by 2030. To qualify for funding, applicants must:
be a full-time undergraduate in good standing (per AU policy) with at least 30 completed credits have completed an approved career-readiness course (UGST-020, UGST-100, UGST-120, UGST-200, KSB-101, or KSB-302 ) covering career planning and job-search fundamentals have secured an unpaid or underpaid internship and submitted all required documentation (underpaid is defined as $1,000 or less for an eight-week, 100-hour placement) complete the first fall section of UGST 200 or UGST 020 to apply later in the semester as a graduating senior (December 2026 or May 2027), even if an internship is already underway. This fall, undergraduate students can also take a research preparatory course (UGST-096 or UGST-396)—one of several requirements to apply for undergraduate research funding through the AU Ready Research Pledge . Support payments to pursue these formative on-campus opportunities will begin being awarded in spring 2027.
As the Internship Pledge opens to its inaugural applicants, three AU students reflect on how their summer internships advanced their career goals—and offer advice for Eagles searching for their next opportunity.
Evan Kwiatkowski, SIS/BA ’27 Internship: Pachaysana (Ecuador)Evan Kwiatkowski traded an office setting for an immersive, eight-week internship in the Ecuadorian Amazon with Pachaysana, an organization reimagining traditional models of education and land use.
Living in the Mushullakta settlement from June to August, the rising senior taught English to local high school students and researched language loss across Kichwa-speaking communities.
“A large part of this job was not [just] a resume-builder, but [about building] an ability to connect with community members and understanding how to both live and learn with them,” said Kwiatkowski, a Chicago-area native.
The experience allowed him to hone his Spanish fluency and adapt to unfamiliar environments—crucial preparation for his goal of joining the Peace Corps in Latin America after graduation. “I have loved every single interaction I’ve had here, especially with the kids,” Kwiatkowski said.
He credited UGST-100—one of the career classes students can take to secure internship pledge funds—with preparing him to craft tailored application materials and speak confidently during interviews.
Kwiatkowski’s advice: Think outside the box. “I don’t think every internship has to be looking at LinkedIn and [seeing] what’s going to get you the [highest] payout. Everyone should experience at least one internship in a nontraditional setting that helps you [grow] as a person.”
Nicole Eisner, SOC/BA ’29 Internship: I.M.P, an independent concert promotion and production company based in DC. After submitting 200 applications with little traction, public relations major Nicole Eisner created her own opportunity by chasing down a guest lecturer on the quad after her entertainment industry class.
“I was sick, [wearing] a dirty sweatshirt; I looked terrible—but something told me I should still go to class,” said Eisner, who grew up in Lima, Peru.
That initiative led to a shadowing opportunity at a sold-out Yungblud’s show at the Anthem, followed by a full summer role in music media relations for independent concert promoter I.M.P. Managing press and photographers at major venues like the Anthem and Merriweather Post Pavillion for artists like Zara Larsson and the Strokes, Eizner gained firsthand insight into the collaborative machinery behind live events.
A former musician and founder the Peruvian arts-education nonprofit Casa Del Art, Eisner will build on her I.M.P. experience this fall with an internship at the Recording Industry Association of America.
Eisner’s advice: Perseverance through an internship search is a muscle you have to build. “The more comfortable you get with rejection, the more energy and strength [you have] to keep applying.”
Roderick Purdy, SPA/BA ’27
Internship: Maryland Aviation Administration
For Roderick Purdy, interning at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport offered a chance to merge two longstanding passions: aviation and public policy.
Working within the Maryland Aviation Administration’s Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, the Louisville, Kentucky, native analyzed federal codes, regulatory compliance, and the administrative functions that make flying possible for millions of passengers each day.
“There’s a lot that passengers don’t see,” Purdy said. “That’s something I wanted to [understand better]. It was much more complicated than I expected—but in the best way possible.”
Evaluating ways to improve airport accessibility also came with a unique perk: grabbing coffee inside the terminal during breaks. “It was the first time I’ve been to an airport where I’ve not had a destination,” Purdy said.
Purdy’s advice: Before, during, and after internships, don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals in your field. Ask for a 30-minute informational interview: “They’ve been in our shoes” and have insights you can only learn by asking.
Do you have questions about the Internship Pledge? Get them answered by emailing internships@american.edu . You can also learn more at upcoming information sessions , which start September 3.
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