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UMW and Four Students Receive Top Billing Statewide for Internships

The University of Mary Washington received statewide recognition this month for its internship program – and for its students, who bring classroom knowledge into the workplace and, in turn, gain on-the-job experience in the Fredericksburg region and beyond.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) named UMW to its 2026 Top Virginia Employers for Interns list early this month, recognizing the University’s efforts to establish high-impact, career-launching opportunities across the Commonwealth. A week later, SCHEV shared its Top 50 list of Virginia interns, which includes Mary Washington students Matthew Clinton, Miranda Herd, MacKenzie Martin and Sarah Moon.

“It’s an honor to celebrate the University of Mary Washington and our students during National Internship Awareness Month. We’re in excellent company with the other organizations being recognized in our region and across Virginia,” said Career and Workforce Director of Regional Partnerships Devin T. Fedor. “UMW is proud to serve as a role model for expanding work-based learning opportunities and boosting student career readiness, both key goals of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership.”

Senior Matthew Clinton of Ireland is a communication and digital studies major who’s interning as a video production content creator for University Communications. Senior Miranda Herd, who hails from Manassas Park and is a double major in business administration and data science, is working in research and data analytics for the Center for Career and Professional Development.

MacKenzie Martin, a studio art major with a double minor in business administration and entrepreneurship, works to assist her fellow Mary Washigton students as an intern in UMW’s Career and Workforce Division. And Sarah Moon of Loudoun County, a junior majoring in English and minoring in professional writing, currently holds internships running social media for the Department of English and Linguistics, and contributing to media and public relations efforts within the Office of University Communications.

“Virginia’s top interns are making meaningful contributions – examples of why Virginia is the top state for talent,” said SCHEV Executive Director Scott Fleming. “They are applying their learning in real time, adding value to employers and building the skills that will define Virginia’s future workforce.”

Selected from a competitive pool of 121 nominees who worked at Virginia-based organizations, these interns distinguished themselves through initiative, leadership and results, and are making a difference for their employers, the SCHEV release says.

“These interns are not just participating, they’re excelling,” said SCHEV Assistant Director of Innovative Work-based Learning Initiatives Alisha Bazemore. “They bring fresh ideas, a strong work ethic and real impact to their roles, demonstrating the value of investing in Virginia’s next generation of talent.”

UMW was named among top performers for employing interns for Go Virginia Region 6, which includes Fredericksburg, as well as the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck areas. The University’s Life After Mary Washington initiative weaves the concept of career readiness into the fabric of the UMW experience. By the time they graduate, more than 30 percent of all UMW students have completed some type of internship.

In 2022, the University received a $250,000 grant – part of the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Fund and Program –  by SCHEV for the creation of the Rappahannock Work & Learn Collaborative. In 2024, UMW was awarded $200,000 in Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) grants to enhance internship and work-based learning opportunities. And last year, The Princeton Review ranked UMW No. 18 for internships among public schools nationwide.

This year’s Top 50 Virginia Intern honorees will be recognized on July 30 in Richmond during Virginia Intern Day, a statewide annual celebration of student-interns, employers and higher education partners advancing work-based learning.