Our Students, Our Communities: Summer Internship Highlights from the Regional Rising Talent 2025 Programs
Celebrating Summer Interns Making a Difference in Stark and Lorain Counties
This summer, students from OFIC member campuses brought their talents, energy, and ideas to non-profit organizations in Stark and Lorain Counties through the Regional Rising Talent internship program. This initiative connects students with meaningful internships at local non-profits, helping to strengthen community programs and expand outreach. In late July, we hosted two special luncheons to recognize these students’ work and the generous funders who make the program possible.
On July 24, we celebrated with Employers Health and the interns they supported in Stark County. The very next day, July 25, we gathered again with The Nord Family Foundation to honor interns serving Lorain County. Both events brought together students, non-profit supervisors, campus representatives, and funders to share stories, express gratitude, and highlight the positive impact of these internships on the organizations and communities involved.
Stark County Celebration with Employers Health
Thanks to generous funding from Employers Health, the Regional Rising Talent program supported select non-profits in Stark County this summer. Students, their non-profit supervisors, and campus representatives came together for lunch in Employers Health’s beautiful dining room. President and CEO Chris Goff and OFIC President Bill Spiker opened the event with welcoming remarks.
Over a delicious meal prepared by the Employers Health in-house chef, non-profit leaders and interns reflected on their summer experiences. Interns contributed to a wide range of projects including social media management, fundraising, youth mentorship, and community housing initiatives. One non-profit leader exclaimed, “I want to keep my intern forever!” as a testament to the professionalism and enthusiasm these students brought.
Congratulations to students from the following OFIC member campuses who made a difference in Stark County this summer: Ashland University, The College of Wooster, University of Mount Union, Walsh University, and Wittenberg University.
Lorain County Celebration with The Nord Family Foundation
For the second year in a row, The Nord Family Foundation — the founding funder of the Regional Rising Talent program — fully funded five summer internships for non-profits in Lorain County. The program continues to grow, creating meaningful opportunities for students and supporting vital community work.
At the July 25 luncheon, interns, their supervisors, campus representatives, and Nord Foundation members Tina Kimbrough and Jabari Dorsey gathered with the OFIC team to celebrate. A standout moment came when Victor Leandry, Executive Director of El Centro de Servicios Sociales, shared how his intern’s grant research uncovered two new potential funders he hadn’t known about after years in his role—showing the real, tangible impact these internships bring.
Lorain County interns also contributed to grant research and writing, website development, social media content creation, and nutrition education for food-insecure communities. One campus representative shared how recent event promotions created by an intern on the Main Street Lorain website inspired him to plan a family visit.
Congratulations to students from the following OFIC member campuses for their contributions in Lorain County this summer: The College of Wooster, Denison University, Ashland University, Ohio Northern University, and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Both luncheons highlighted how the Regional Rising Talent program empowers students to gain real-world experience while strengthening the non-profits that serve their communities. The program is growing and actively seeking new non-profit program funders and companies interested in directly funding interns from Ohio’s top independent colleges for their company’s internships. We look forward to continuing this work and watching the impact expand year after year.