UMW Earns Top Employer Honors for Providing College Internship Opportunities

October 28, 2026

Sarah Hertz Mahoney

The University of Mary Washington has earned another distinction for its commitment to internships, this time for the opportunities it provides as an employer.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership has recognized Mary Washington with two regional honors through its inaugural 2026 InternshipsVA Top Employers for Interns awards. The accolades celebrate UMW’s commitment to providing high-quality internship experiences that help students develop professional skills while contributing to the workplace.

UMW was among seven employers in GO Virginia Region 6, which includes Fredericksburg, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, to receive the Innovative Employers Award for outstanding internship programs. The University also earned the Inspiring Employers Award, recognizing its 38-year history of providing internship opportunities and longstanding commitment to student career readiness.

The recognition follows recent news that UMW ranked No. 1 in Virginia and No. 5 nationally among public universities for internships in The Princeton Review’s Best Value Colleges for 2027. Together, the distinctions highlight UMW’s commitment to hands-on learning and career preparation, through its own campus departments and connections with employers beyond the University.

“Universities are not only preparing the next generation of talent in the classroom but also providing valuable work experiences that translate directly to students’ first careers,” said UMW Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young. “At Mary Washington, students are doing work that matters and seeing firsthand how their efforts contribute to the University community.”

Across campus, UMW departments offer internship opportunities that give students hands-on experience and avenues for exploring career interests. In University Communications, for example, paid, on-campus internships allow students to contribute to the University’s storytelling, marketing and media relations efforts. Their duties include creating social media content, writing news stories, developing website content and producing original video series highlighting campus life, University history and the Fredericksburg community.

Two people sit behind a desk looking at a laptop in the foreground while two students sit at a table across from each other in the background

A man and a female student shake hands in front of a sign for Goodwill Industries at a Career Fair tabling event.

a college student in blue sweater operates a large video camera on a tripod

Image of a student in white Mary Wash t-shirt standing on brick walkway on campus preparing to interview others

Four student interns, one junior and three seniors, stand together in the University Communications office during a video production showcase.

Anika Rowe, work-based learning coordinator in UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development, meets with student staff members Sienna Sandiford ’28 (foreground, right), head peer career counselor, and interns Drake Morris ’28 and Mia McDermott ’27 (background). The center provides hands-on work experiences that help students develop professional skills while supporting their peers in career exploration and preparation.

UMW English major and University Communications intern Sarah Moon ’27 (left) meets Marty Bywaters-Baldwin, chief mission officer at Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, during a campus career fair. Moon, who previously profiled Bywaters-Baldwin for a University news story, has gained hands-on writing and media relations experience through her internships at Mary Washington.

University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VAApril, 2025

Selected from a competitive pool of 121 nominees who worked at Virginia-based organizations, Matthew Clinton ’26 was named one of Virginia’s Top 50 Interns by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) for his work as a video production intern for Mary Washington’s University Communications department. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce.

Senior historic preservation major and University Communications intern Kaira Otero ’25 hosts an episode of Mary Wash Mic Talks, one of the campus-focused video series she helped create during her internship.

University Communications student interns (from left) Lee Adams ’27, Kaitlyn Griego ’26, Marisol Juarez ’26 and Blake Bauer ’26 showcased their video production projects, featuring original series on UMW campus life, history, athletics and the Fredericksburg community. Each intern presented two episodes of a four-part series and answered audience questions.

For English major Sarah Moon ’27, internships with University Communications and the Department of English and Linguistics have expanded her view of potential career paths. Her work has included writing UMW news articles, promoting campus events, pitching ideas to news outlets and managing her academic department’s social media presence.

“My internships have ultimately paved multiple pathways for after graduation,” said Moon, who was also named among Virginia’s Top 50 interns earlier this year. “My scope isn’t so narrow anymore, and it’s rewarding to know that one major can take you in infinite directions.”

Moon’s advice to other students is to “seek out opportunities for yourself and seize opportunities that present themselves.” Her experience reflects the goals of Life After Mary Washington, a University-wide initiative focused on preparing students for success beyond graduation.

The InternshipsVA designation recognizes Virginia employers whose internship programs benefit both students and the organizations that hire them. Selected from a competitive pool of statewide nominations, honorees were recognized earlier this month during the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Virginia Education and Workforce Conference in Richmond.

“Internships are one of the most powerful ways to connect classroom learning with the skills employers need and to offer students meaningful, real-world experience,” said Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Carrie Chenery in the state’s announcement of the awards.

Learn more about internship opportunities and career development resources through UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development and its broader commitment to student success beyond graduation through Life After Mary Washington.

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