Students don’t have to travel very far to find a rewarding internship. Practical hands-on experiences
are available right here in the Chambersburg area as the following students discovered.
Casey Kauffman ’25
Major: Sport Management
Minor: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
When Casey Kauffman ’25 started seeking an internship in sport management, she knew she wanted to complete one during the fall semester, so she needed to find something in the Chambersburg area. She approached Linda Boeckman, director of career development, who connected her with the Shippensburg University athletics department, and within days, Casey received an offer to work as the assistant to the sports information director for their fall football season.
Her first day on the job turned out to be the team’s fall media day, and Casey stepped into her role with
confidence. She said she felt comfortable from the start as the director placed her in charge of social media game day operations for the season, working full game days editing and sharing content online. “[The director] let me do my thing. He said I want you to feel as comfortable as possible when you step into this career,” she said. “I’ve always loved sports. I always knew I wanted to work with athletes from a young age, and Wilson provided me with that experience.”
Ben Looper ’24
Major: Sport Management
Minor: Exercise Science and Athletic Coaching
Ben Looper ’24 landed his first internship in January with the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars baseball team during their inaugural season. Ben worked with the team’s marketing and promotions department, assisting with departmental duties and helping to operate a marketing kiosk. He helped spread awareness about the team, sold merchandise, and promoted season ticket plans. He loved connecting with the local community in the process and even attended two promotional events donning the team mascot costume.
During the spring semester, Ben also worked a second internship as pitching coach for the Wilson baseball team after playing on the team for four years. During his time working both internships, he realized how much administrative work goes into running sports programs. “Every single day, something could change, somebody’s not feeling well, the game gets moved back a day, you need to evolve and adapt. Looking back over all the rudimentary stuff we went through in class, … that’s the stuff I do every single day now and [having these opportunities] to apply what I’ve learned has been great.”
Alyssa Wenger ’24
Major: Criminal Justice
Minor: Psychology
“It was always my dream to be a police officer, I just didn’t think I could do it,” said Alyssa Wenger ’24. When Alyssa started taking criminal justice courses at Wilson, she found the inspiration to follow her dream of working in law enforcement. She solidified her goal during an internship with the Chambersburg Police Department (CPD), where she was able to experience their day-to-day routines firsthand. CPD has four squads, and each intern they hire is assigned to one for the duration of the internship. When any emergency calls came in, Alyssa went on the call with her squad to observe how the officers interacted with the public. She also helped with paperwork and accompanied squad members on their rounds.
This internship helped Alyssa realize she is capable of performing the job duties, while also solidifying her passion for working with the local police force due to their strong community orientation. Because Alyssa made such great connections during her internship, she now plans to test for a position with the CPD.
Haden Hoff ’24
Major: Criminal Justice
Minor: Psychology
When Haden Hoff ’24 arrived at Wilson, he knew he wanted to major in criminal justice. He soon developed a strong interest in law enforcement through his course work and an internship with the Chambersburg Police Department.
Like Alyssa Wenger’s experience at CPD, Haden was assigned to a specific squad, which included a sergeant, a corporal, and five or six officers. His work was mostly observational, riding around with each squad member and occasionally serving alongside the detectives. The department also gave him the opportunity to observe at the Franklin County Probation Office.
Haden shared that a lot of his internship experience was very broad, allowing him to learn about the many different aspects of the department’s operations, which was great because he still wasn’t sure in which area he most wanted to work post-graduation.
Since the internship, Haden has applied to several state and county police departments. “The internship let me know that I was headed in the right direction and that I have a strong passion for what I’m going into,” he said.
