This summer, Case Western Reserve University students are stepping far beyond the classroom—into hospitals and research labs, startups and advocacy organizations, engineering firms and art studios. What unites their experiences is not ambition, but intention.
From designing solutions for healthcare access and sustainability to supporting children with developmental needs or shaping more inclusive public policy, these students are pursuing internships that reflect both their passions and their purpose. They are asking meaningful questions, embracing complexity, and learning to lead with both rigor and heart.
In celebration of National Intern Day, we’re spotlighting students who reflect the passion, curiosity and drive that define the CWRU community.
Lucas Yang
College of Arts and Sciences
Charles W. Chesnutt Archive (Cleveland, Ohio)
Even Clevelanders are often surprised to discover that the city has been home to influential scholars for over two centuries. This summer, Cleveland native and fourth-year English major Lucas Yang is learning firsthand about one such pioneer who was at the forefront of African American literature, Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932).
Yang is spending his summer as a research assistant for the Charles W. Chesnutt Archive, where he’s focused on seeking out, categorizing and succinctly annotating all commentary on the life and writings of the renowned writer, lawyer, stenographer and civic leader.
“Before I began the internship, I was disappointed that I was previously unfamiliar with Charles Chesnutt, despite the continued significance of his words to the Black struggles, identities and advocacy of today,“ Yang said.
Yang recognizes the importance of preserving Chesnutt’s writing in its original form for study by broader audiences and has enjoyed traversing the author’s large body of work.
“I’ve had a lot of fun figuring out how to fit these dense, academic papers into three- to five-sentence annotations,” Yang said. “Trying to preserve the nuance and detail of each argument into concise, elegant blurbs of text is an entirely different beast from the academic writing I’ve done, and I look forward to getting better at it!”
Yang discovered the internship through an email from the English department that notifies students of professional opportunities. His advice for students interested in similar internships is to “not undersell yourself and be confident in the skills and qualities you’ve almost certainly gained [during] your time in college.”
While Yang had never held a formal research position before applying to the Charles W. Chesnutt Archive, he knew that being detail-oriented and having a passion for learning—which he nurtured at CWRU—would help him succeed.
“I’m glad the project’s supervisors took the chance on me despite lacking that formal experience, and it would have never happened if I hadn’t been able to decisively lay out the strengths of what I had done,” Yang concluded.
Correy Zemon
Case School of Engineering
Lubrizol (Cleveland, Ohio)
Correy Zemon knows a thing or two about gaining hands-on experience through internships. His biomedical engineering co-op will consist of a total of four rotations—this summer is his third.
In summer 2024 he worked in a research and development lab on the development and testing of a new thermoplastic polyurethanes for medical applications. Last spring he worked a rotation in process engineering with a contract manufacturing site that specializes in medical/catheter extrusion, which took him to the Los Angeles area.
Zemon is back in Cleveland this summer as a technical project manager for the Medical Polymers group at Lubrizol where his responsibilities span several areas. He ensures the needs of several manufacturing plants are met alongside commercial and supply chain demands for raw materials and customers requirements; manages sustaining projects in defense of over $4M in product sales each year—and he is performing a technical review to ensure the success of regional localization of key Lubrizol products.
In the fall, Zemon will travel to the Boston area to complete his final term with Lubrizol as a process engineer at a medical and industrial polymers production facility.
He is enjoying the experience and appreciates the “valuable personal and professional conversations” he’s had with colleagues which have inspired him to consider additional career paths.
When asked for advice for other students seeking internships, Zemon said recruiters may not necessarily prioritize your technical experience as much as how your work ethic and personality will fit into a company.
He also suggests “reaching out to recruiters or people in the company personally—whether through a career fair, a friend or family referral, or just through LinkedIn and email. That will usually give you a better chance for a reply. Use your network—or take the time to build it!”
Logan Byler
School of Law
Western Reserve Land Conservancy (Moreland Hills)
Rising 3L Logan Byler grew up with a deep appreciation of the outdoors, a connection that stoked his interest in environmental law. As a summer legal intern with Western Reserve Land Conservancy, he’s enjoying the peaceful and inspiring setting of WRLC’s headquarters in Moreland Hills, nestled between scenic polo fields and historic residences.
“My work so far this summer has deepened my appreciation for the fragility of natural ecosystems and the importance of preserving open spaces, working farms and vibrant, healthy communities,” he said.
Western Reserve Land Conservancy is one of the largest nonprofit land trusts in the country, with the goal of providing Northeast Ohioans with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration. The organization holds conservation easements on over 800 Ohio properties, preserving almost 80,000 acres in the area.
“I initially expected to focus primarily on environmental law and conservation easements, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the variety of projects I’ve worked on,” Byler noted. “These include drafting purchase and sale agreements, amendments and various easements, as well as researching unique legal issues such as cemetery formation and even King George III’s 1774 royal land patent to Thomas Jefferson.”
Byler also joined the stewardship field team to assist with property monitoring and documenting plant and animal species, including one unconventional project.
“A personal highlight—though not strictly law-related—was helping locate and tag eastern massasauga rattlesnakes on one of WRLC’s properties,” he said.
While he plans to pursue a career in transactional law, Byler noted that his internship has provided valuable exposure to real estate transactions, skills he aims to build on when he returns to campus for his fall capstone. He hopes that, through responsible real estate and transactional practices, future generations can have the opportunity to connect with nature in the same way that he did.
Deyhana Greene
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio)
Driven by a passion for mental health advocacy and equitable care, Deyhana Greene is building the skills and experience to become a strong clinical social worker—starting in one of the most fast-paced environments: the emergency department.
Currently serving on Cleveland Clinic’s social work team, she assesses patients in the emergency department who may require psychiatric or detox admissions. She also conducts assessments remotely for emergency departments across Ohio, helping ensure patients receive timely, appropriate mental health care.
This experience builds on her previous placement in the inpatient units, where she completed psychosocial assessments for newly admitted patients, joined psychiatrists and recreational therapists for treatment team rounds, and assisted with other social work–related needs throughout the hospital.
Greene secured her internship by reaching out to a peer employed at the Cleveland Clinic, who shared her resume with a supervisor. After an interview, she was invited to join the team—an opportunity she credits to initiative and self-advocacy.
“Take your opportunities into your own hands,” she advises other students seeking similar roles. “Advocate for yourself and shape your experience around your career goals.”
Since joining the team, she has gained stronger clinical judgment, interdisciplinary collaboration skills and confidence in her work, all with the support of an encouraging supervisor.
In recognition of her dedication, Greene received the Black Faculty and Staff Resource Group Scholarship at the annual CWRU Unity Banquet in April and was named a 2025–26 Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial Scholar by the NASW Foundation.
“As a first-generation student from a low-income background, I deeply understand the importance of equity, access and systemic representation within marginalized communities,” she reflected. “I look forward to continuing my advocacy and destigmatization throughout my career!”
Molly Sobota
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital (Cleveland, Ohio)
This summer, Molly Sobota stepped into a role full of firsts—as a postpartum nurse intern at University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital, she’s been part of countless milestone moments for new families: baby’s first bath, mom’s first few hours after delivery and the first night of parenthood.
“All of those firsts are a part of my daily routine, but they are so special to me each and every time! I just love it,” said Sobota, a Master of Nursing student at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.
As part of her internship within the maternity unit, Sobota’s days include taking baby vitals, helping moms recover after delivery, assisting with feedings, and providing comfort to anxious parents. While her nursing studies gave her a strong foundation in adult care—especially spotting infection and managing vitals—her experience this summer opened a new world.
“Everything in the baby world is new to me. I had only held a baby once in my life before this internship so that was a huge learning curve for me,” she said. “I assumed babies were just mini humans, but they have completely different ranges for vitals and behaviors. And because they can’t communicate well yet, it’s like decoding a secret language!”
For Sobota, who entered nursing after shadowing roles across the hospital, the decision to come to Case Western Reserve for her graduate studies was intuitive, and she said this internship has made her feel more confident in her nursing skills.
“This specific nursing speciality is really cool because it combines infant and adult care, and while I’m pretty comfortable with charting adult care and knowing what to look for, learning those aspects for babies is totally different,” she said.
Now, she’s more confident than ever that she chose the right path—and is already thinking about the change she wants to help create.
“I’m passionate about pain control in women’s health and newborn withdrawal care,” she said. “Listening to women and advocating for their needs is a vital responsibility in nursing. There’s significant opportunity for growth as nurses continue to elevate awareness around women’s health and the needs of newborns.”
Raghvendra Yadav
Weatherhead School of Management
Third Federal (Cleveland, Ohio)
From his extracurricular activities to his academic pursuits, Raghvendra (RV) Yadav knows the value of taking a big-picture approach. The rising junior is applying this mindset to his work at Third Federal this summer, an opportunity that came to be after he applied via the Summer on the Cuyahoga internship program.
An economics major in Weatherhead’s integrated Master of Finance program, Yadav is no stranger to leading a busy schedule—it’s part of his strategy to drive the biggest impact possible. Originally from Mumbai, India, he participated as a United World College (UWC) Davis Scholar for high school at UWC Canada, an experience he credits for shaping his global and impact-driven perspective.
He’s since leaned into countless opportunities at Weatherhead, from participating in the Economics Society to working as a research assistant, traveling on the Wall Street Trek program and pursuing a Veale Snyder Fellowship.
“All of these experiences have taught me initiative, collaboration and resilience,” said Yadav. “As a result, I’ve been able to contribute quickly in my internship’s data-heavy, regulated environment. I enjoy applying economic theory to real financial decisions, so deepening that with opportunities in finance was a natural next step.”
At Third Federal, Yadav is supporting the organization’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) strategy by analyzing long-term community investments, building dashboards to track impact, and coordinating data/process improvements ahead of the 2026 CRA exam. He even had the opportunity to attend the group’s policy summit, an experience that further solidified his passion for his field.
When asked what advice he has for other students seeking fulfilling internships, Yadav’s answer is simple: build genuine relationships. It’s the same approach he took this summer, crediting Weatherhead faculty and staff in the Career Center for supporting him with mock interviews and warm referrals.
“Show up, join in, and follow up—with professors, alumni, and peers,” he said. “Most roles never hit job boards so having someone who trusts your work ethic can be what opens the door.”
Hari Balasubramanian
School of Medicine
Trailhead Biosystems (Beachwood, Ohio)
Before this summer, Hari Balasubramanian viewed science mostly through an academic lens: experiments, data, and long days in the lab. But that perspective has shifted during his internship at Trailhead Biosystems, where he’s getting a firsthand look at how biotech companies bring scientific discoveries to life.
“This internship has taught me that there’s more to [lab work] than meets the eye,” he explained. “Be it prioritizing projects, product launches, following strict deadlines, or how different departments work together to move a product forward.”
He is part of the research and development team at Trailhead, a company focused on differentiating human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into specialized cell types at scale for drug discovery, disease modeling, and cell therapy. His work centers on endodermal lineages, including protocols for differentiating iPSCs into pancreatic progenitor cells.
In his internship, he’s been performing the in-house cell differentiation protocols for pancreatic progenitor cells, freezing and thawing of cells, quality control (QC) assays such as qPCR, immunocytochemistry (ICC), and flow cytometry to study the changes in these cells at a molecular level with each stage of differentiation.
It’s his first role in industry—and a key step in his education. He’s pursuing a Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine and Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a program that bridges cutting-edge science with the business skills needed to bring therapies to market.
Earlier this year, he earned third place in CWRU’s inaugural spring poster symposium for master’s students—an early sign of his growing interest in translational research. Still, he emphasized that finding meaningful opportunities often comes down to building relationships.
“Networking is key; most job or internship opportunities aren’t advertised on job boards,” he said. “I got this opportunity through an internal referral. That’s why every conversation matters; the next person you connect with could be your future employer.”
For him, that outreach has paid off—not just in experience, but in a deeper understanding of where science and entrepreneurship can take him next.
