Article
September 1, 2026
Written by Duard Headley
Highlighting the Internships of Summer 2026
Three features and a Q&A showcasing the summertime adventures of several UNC Bears
The summer months are a time of possibility and excitement. Whether whiling away the hours relaxing by the pool, exploring the outdoors beneath the summer sun or gaining new experience in a job or internship, there’s no shortage of ways to capitalize on the months-long break from school.
For several students (and alumni) of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), the summer of 2026 was a time of growth, learning and adventure as they scattered to various parts of the state, country and globe to pursue internships in their chosen fields.
From working with the Red Cross in the western Pacific to tracking and reporting on summer storms, getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some Disney magic and more, check out the stories below to see how these Bears spent their summers to the fullest.
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Crossing the Ocean with the Red Cross
Around the world, natural risks, dangers, resources and needs of the community can vary wildly.
Here in Colorado, some of the most significant and persistent hazards are things like wildfires, landslides, droughts. But for somewhere like the island country of the Republic of Palau, the concerns couldn’t be more different, as rising sea levels, tidal surges and typhoons number among the most common.
So, when Peyton Eitemiller, ‘24, MPH ‘26, shipped out this summer with the Red Cross on a disaster management internship to the island nation, not only did she face the challenge of cultural acclimation, she had to prepare to help mitigate a suite of natural dangers entirely different than any she’d encountered before.
Spotlight on a Magical Internship
For any profession, there’s what some might consider to be a “dream job” — a place to work that outshines all others.
In tech fields, that might be a company like Google or Apple, for journalists, it could be the New York Times.
When Brevin Bazurto, ‘26, received an offer to put his skills as a lighting designer to use in Orlando, Florida, it felt like a “dream job” was presenting itself.
He was going to Disney World.
Cloudy, With a Chance of Learning
Picture this.
It’s a clear, beautiful afternoon at a concert venue. Crowds of people are gathered, murmuring excitedly as they wait for the opening act. But just as the performers take the stage, a bank of clouds rolls in and a thunderstorm erupts, drenching the attendees and the band alike.
Without any warning of the impending weather, the day is ruined.
Thankfully, with a little weather prediction technology and some meteorological know-how, situations like this are mostly avoidable — and Janae Acheson spent the summer helping to make that possible.
Career Connections Continue
With so many Bears engaging in such a wide variety of internships, the highlights don’t stop. Read on for Q&As with five UNC students about their summer work experiences and hands-on career development.
Diego Pastor is a doctoral student studying Music in the College of Performing and Visual Arts.
What company are you interning for? What is the role, and where is it located?
I have been teaching at Blue Lake Summer Camp every summer since 2024. This July, it’s my third year as a faculty member for violin (Violin instructor). It’s located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My role as a violin instructor is lead classes like orchestra sectionals, group violin lessons (technique) and support the preparation of the students in every session.
Could you describe a day in the life at your internship?
The daily life at Blue Lake starts with waking up early. Then, we go to the general area for eating with all the faculty for the campers. (Around 50 professionals in music, doctors or doctoral students specialized in violin, cello, viola and all the instruments from all over the country). After breakfast, we go to teach until noon. We teach in the areas designed for every instructor in the forest. In the afternoon, we have orchestra rehearsal or chamber music rehearsals where all the teachers and counselors play together for the end of the sessions.
How did you discover the internship opportunity?
I discovered this opportunity in a flyer during my masters at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.
How did your UNC education prepare you for this position?
UNC prepared me with knowledge, theorical and practical, in music. Orchestra rehearsals, private violin lessons and many more spaces that the school of music provides helped me to develop my skill and be able to share this experience with younger generations at the summer camp. Studying with Dr. Fulks, my violin teacher at UNC, gave me the opportunity of keep learning in a deeper way about the journey of being a violinist. His guidance improved my understanding of being a violinist and a better teacher.
What attracted you to the internship?
I love the opportunity of connecting with younger generations through music. Blue Lake offers a unique opportunity to live in a forest for around one month, disconnecting from technology and discovering the beauty of nature and arts in the same environment. Being able to stay around educators of the highest level is also another reason why I love teaching at Blue Lake.
Dez Trujillo is a senior Arts and Design major in the College of Performing and Visual Arts.
What company are you interning for? What is the role, and where is it located?
The company I am working for is the El Pueblo History Museum through History Colorado. Rather than sticking to one internship through them. I was given the amazing opportunity to do a duel internship. It is a marketing, operations and education internship. I was surprised when I was given the chance to not only do one internship, but be offered both. Truly, it opened my eyes to see my full potential.
Could you describe a day in the life at your internship?
A day in my life consists of my hours being split between the education department and the marketing and operations department. In the morning, I am with the education department working with children from grades one through eight. I also have the chance to teach historical art crafts and also co-teach. For marketing and operations, I spend my afternoons with them as an assistant around the museum. I also work on graphics for different events that the El Pueblo History Museum is involved with or hosting.
How did you discover the internship opportunity?
I discovered this internship through a Facebook group called “Helping Pueblo” by making a post asking about any internships local in Pueblo. I wasn’t sure if I would have a chance to get a job during summer break, so I took my chance. I was told about the internships, so I went ahead and applied. It was truly an honor to be selected for not just one internship, but both.
How did your UNC education prepare you for this position?
I would say UNC has prepared me for this position by giving me opportunities to get involved outside the classroom. My education classes have taught me a lot of things that I use when working with children of all ages. I wouldn’t have thought my art studio classes would’ve been so useful at first, but I’ve done a lot of projects in class that I have learned to modify for the age group to use with students I am working with.
What attracted you to the internship?
The main thing that attracted me to these internships was my interest in education and behind-the-scenes work. It felt fitting since it called for working behind the scenes and working on graphics and digital work. I had recently found a love for graphic design and a desire to grow in this skill, so I took the opportunity. This internship has already taught me to grow and challenge myself to my full capabilities. At times it may be challenging, but thanks to my support team, it has been easier to overcome the hard times.
Colbi Heineman, ’25, graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences from the College of Natural and Health Sciences.
What company are you interning for? What is the role, and where is it located?
I am currently working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife as their algae technician for the summer. I have the opportunity to work right at the headquarters in Denver.
Could you describe a day in the life at your internship?
I typically get to the CPW headquarters in Denver around 9 a.m. and immediately check to see if we have received samples. If we have samples to analyze, I first prep the microscope to see if I can identify any algae in the sample and the specific type of algae. After finding algae in the sample and identifying the specific type, I use a strip test to see if the algae in the sample is producing toxins.
There are three different toxins that the algal types can produce, and thus, there can be three different strip tests to complete. Each strip test is a process! After testing the sample and using a strip test reader, my supervisor will communicate the results of our strip test to the proper person (i.e. property manager, park director) and also communicate next steps depending on the test results.
These next steps may be posting caution signs for the presence of algae that is capable of producing toxins or warning signs for toxic algae in the body of water. The samples we receive may also be sent elsewhere for further testing for more specific concentrations of algae and toxin levels if they test positive.
When there are not samples, I typically prep water sampling/testing materials to ship out for people to complete strip tests on site, as well as organize excel documents we use to record all our sample information. I also continue to learn more about algae!
How did you discover the internship opportunity?
I discovered the internship opportunity through an email thread that one of my professors from UNC sent to a group of classmates!
How did your UNC education prepare you for this position?
My UNC education helped prepare me through hands-on experiences, whether that be from classes like Hydrology and the Hydrology lab, or field experiences such as traveling to Florida and collecting samples of phytoplankton and looking at them through a microscope. The biggest thing that prepared me was participating in RiverWatch and actually learning how to collect water quality samples and calculate different parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, etc.).
What attracted you to the internship?
I really liked the idea of being able to use my hands-on experience of water sampling and see it intertwine with the world of algae. I also really love the public health aspect and the fact that when there is an algae bloom that is confirmed to be producing toxins, you are the person who gets to help communicate those results outward to the public and inform them on how to still recreate in our waterways safely.
Jess Johnson is a senior Physics major in the College of Natural and Health Sciences.
What company are you interning for? What is the role, and where is it located?
I am a research intern at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) through the Boulder Solar Alliance REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program. It is associated with CU Boulder in Boulder, Colorado.
Could you describe a day in the life at your internship?
I work with scientists on a research project for the summer, and I will present the results at the end of the program at a symposium. In my research project, I am studying the instability of the ionosphere-magneto sheath boundary of Mars’ magnetic field with data from MAVEN, a satellite that was orbiting Mars.
In a typical day, I spend the mornings writing code that hopefully will help me to narrow down data that I have from the MAVEN database. I work alongside other interns in the program who are all working on unique projects that are related to the Sun in some way. Sometimes the interns take our lunch breaks together. CU’s campus is beautiful, so you can often find us eating outside with the Flatirons in the background.
After lunch, I have meetings with my primary mentor, Dr. Sergey Shualov, a scientist at LASP. We go over the code, results and any problems I have found. Often, we need to tweak the code to narrow down the results we want, so we make plans on what we should try next then. Then I write down what I did that day in my research notebook and continue working on code until the end of the workday. After that, I go back to the apartment that the program provided for me and I hang out with the other interns. Most of us live in the same building on the same floor, so we often plan things to do like hikes, game nights, going to movies and many other gatherings. We usually have something going on every day, especially on weekends.
How did you discover the internship opportunity?
I discovered this internship on the National Science Foundation’s Etap website, which is a website where all of the REUs and internships that NSF funds are located, so that students can easily apply to them.
How did your UNC education prepare you for this position?
In the fall semester of 2025, I took SCI 298, which is a class that prepares Natural Sciences and Health majors for applying to opportunities like these. In SCI 298, taught by Dr. Engstrom, I learned how to write a cover letter, what to include in my resume, and what summer research opportunities are available for students. In the class, you will have your application materials peer-edited.
What attracted you to the internship?
I was attracted to the program because of all the possible research students can do through it. The Boulder Solar Alliance works with multiple laboratories in Boulder like LASP, the National Solar Observatory and the High-Altitude Observatory, to name a few. Participating in the program would greatly help me develop the research skills that I need for graduate school and the workforce.
Sonia Loma is a senior Business Administration major with a concentration in Human Resources Management in the Monfort College of Business.
What company are you interning for? What is the role, and where is it located?
I am currently interning at a company called Golden Aluminum as a Training and Development intern in Fort Lupton, Colorado.
Describe a day in the life at your internship?
Every day at Golden Aluminum is different. Some days, I spend most of my time on the production floor interacting with operators, observing processes and conducting interviews to better understand training needs and identify opportunities for improvement. Other days, I am in the office, focused on developing training materials, attending meetings, collaborating with different teams across the organization and supporting various development initiatives.
How did you discover the internship opportunity?
I discovered this internship through a close friend, Jennifer Unzueta, who highly recommended it based on her positive experience. She believed the opportunity would be a great fit for my skills and interests, and her encouragement motivated me to apply.
How did your UNC education prepare you for this position?
My education at UNC has prepared me for this position by providing me with a strong foundation in problem-solving, communication and leadership. Through coursework at the business school, team projects and presentations, I learned how to analyze information, work effectively with diverse groups of people and develop solutions to real-world challenges. These skills have been applied to my current role as a training and development intern, where I collaborate with operators and department managers to identify training needs.
What attracted you to the internship?
The thing that most attracted me to this internship was that it was in a manufacturing environment. I have always had an interest in construction and manufacturing industries, and this role allowed me to gain firsthand experience in a fast-paced production setting. As a woman in a male-dominated field, I am motivated to demonstrate persistence, confidence and a strong work ethic.
