A uniquely Carleton tradition: The power of winter break externships
Externships immerse students in the daily realities of a specific industry or job, provide a supportive arena to develop their skills, and connect them directly with practitioners who can offer career guidance beyond their immediate network.
Over the past 18 years, Carleton alumni, parents, and friends of the College have become an essential part of the Carleton Externship Program, a unique winter break tradition. Starting as just a handful of student experiences, the externship program has grown to offer hundreds of one- to three-week applied experiences each winter break. Externships immerse students in the daily realities of a specific industry or job, provide a supportive arena to develop their skills, and connect them directly with practitioners who can offer career guidance beyond their immediate network.
From Minnesota state courts to research labs and hospitals in Boston, from nonprofit boardrooms in Washington, D.C., to innovation hubs in the Bay Area, externship hosts give Carleton students a taste of many potential career paths.
Perennial supporter Judge Bruce Manning ’96, P ’27 has hosted over 45 Carls at the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Judge Manning reflects that he has found hosting to be personally rewarding.
“I’m happy to meet a wide range of current Carleton students, with the same sort of diverse interests, skills, and curiosities that made me a happy student decades ago,” he said. “The quality of students has remained constant over the years. I also get to learn about the Carleton of today: new programs, new buildings, new professors doing new and cool things.”
“Throughout my own career, I can trace nearly every one of my successes to mentors who helped me grow as a person or a thinker, to people who shaped my perspectives, gave me opportunities, or believed I was ready for something even when I couldn’t quite see it for myself,” Manning added. “Serving as an extern host is a way I try to pay it forward and show gratitude for what I have received myself. I’ll probably never even the ledger. The students I host continue to teach me, too, which I think of as a particularly Carleton kind of thing.”
A friend of the College, Jody Kahn, has hosted Carleton students at her workplace, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc., inspiring students to explore the field of publishing.
“Hosting Carleton externs is something our agents look forward to each December, as we have found Carleton students to be curious, bright, articulate, personable, mature, and an overall bright spot in our winter season,” said Kahn. “Publishing is an apprenticeship business — we hope that by hosting externs we are offering soon-to-be graduates a foot in the door, as well as in-person experience in an office setting, and mentorship by a professional who can help guide them into the right role in this vast field.”
In her second year of hosting, Class of 2027 parent Judy Becher’s love for the program comes from helping students discover interesting career paths while sharing the richness of the medical field of primary care and how to deliver quality patient care. Externs hosted by Becher have the opportunity to observe specialties at the Multnomah County Department of Health’s northeast and southeast clinics, including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, procedure clinics, and community health classes.
“Hosting such talented and committed students is very meaningful for our staff and our patients, as they value their roles in helping to train the next generation of health care providers,” she said. “Our staff is clearly energized by hosting students.”
“I loved seeing the students light up as they described interactions with patients and staff,” Becher added. “I am deeply impressed by the quality of candidates at Carleton who apply for this experience — truly the cream of the crop.”
At the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Todd Golub ’85 has hosted externs since 2018, and his dedication to hosting stems from seeing students ignite interest in biomedical research.
“The Carleton externship program is a great opportunity for me and my group to get students excited about what’s becoming possible in biomedical research,” Golub said. “Even a short experience can have a profound impact on how students think about their future, and it gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to have such a positive influence. And, the energy and curiosity that students bring to our group is a bonus for us.”
“My favorite part of this program,” shared Temi Adeyemi, program director for employer relations and overseer of Externship Experiences at Carleton, “is reading students’ reflections on their experiences and their gratitude for their hosts. Carleton students return to campus with a much deeper understanding of themselves and a robust network of hosts and their colleagues. It is consistently evident that we have a remarkably supportive community of alumni, parents, and friends who are eager to share their career insights and provide industry knowledge to these intellectually curious students.”
With students’ growing interest in the applied externship experience — there were 196 unique applicants for Winter 2025 — the Career Center seeks alumni, parents, and Carleton friends who are excited to provide more opportunities for students during the winter break.
Opportunities across all fields are welcome! To meet Carleton students’ diverse interests, the Career Center extends a special invitation to apply for those in the fields of arts, design, and museums; automation and building tech, including robotics and machine engineering; business; policy; public health; publishing and journalism; jobs across sustainability, the environment, and urban planning; cybersecurity; data analysis; and veterinary medicine.
For more information on how you can become a site and/or housing host for this unique Carleton tradition, fill out the interest form by Tuesday, June 30, or email externships@carleton.edu.