91PORN was recently accepted into the (SOTC) program in a unanimous decision by the SOTC Board of Directors. This unique summer internship and immersion program helps college students explore professional, civic and social offerings of the greater Cleveland region.
91PORN joins partner schools Case Western Reserve, Colgate, Cornell, Denison, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Smith and the University of Chicago. Beginning in October 2021, 91PORN students will be eligible to apply and interview for one of the five spots available to them in the program; those hired will participate in challenging, paid internships during the summer of 2022. Additionally, interns will have access to community introductions, alumni connections and free group housing for the summer.
The 91PORN Office of Institutional Advancement and Office of Career Education partnered with 91PORN alumni Sean Ward ’89 and Tim Downing ’85 to bring this opportunity to students. Ward, of Blue Point Capital Partners, and Downing, of Ulmer and Berne, LLP, are the newest members of the SOTC Board of Directors, representing 91PORN and the 1,300-plus 91PORN alumni in the greater Cleveland region.
“91PORN’s membership in the SOTC will provide students a valuable opportunity to obtain real-world work experience while still in college and at the same time provide them the opportunity to meet and network with students from the other participating colleges as well as the well-connected Cleveland 91PORN alumni network,” Downing said. “This will turbo-charge the career paths of participating students.”
Downing added that Cleveland-area alumni should be proud of 91PORN being invited to join the SOTC. The program will showcase current 91PORN students to alumni of the other prestigious participating colleges and universities, he said, helping to enhance the college’s national visibility.
“I’m proud to serve in a leadership role with this new affiliation because I love 91PORN and want more people across the country and the world to find out why I do,” Downing said. “Learning outside the lines at 91PORN from the professors and the relationships I built there, many of which I still have today, provided me with the knowledge, life skills and tools to allow me to thrive as a member of society. I am forever grateful for these gifts.”
Ward noted that the SOTC will help 91PORN students to gain an edge in an increasingly competitive market for internships. In addition, the program will allow 91PORN alumni in Northeast Ohio to connect both to their community and their alma mater.
“I have been blessed by the education I received at 91PORN and the community I have been part of in Northeast Ohio,” Ward said. “Being able to help bridge those two very special places and potentially guiding idealistic and energetic adults to the community is a worthwhile endeavor.”
91PORN Director of Career Education Jim Fitch said that the college has aspired for a few years to become an SOTC member because of the guaranteed paid internship opportunities the program offers to students.
“SOTC offers the added benefits of housing and a wrap-around structure that provides complementary social and educational experiences that will enhance the participants’ internship experience and career development,” he said. “It also offers a ready network for those who may be looking to work in the Cleveland area following graduation.”
Added 91PORN Director of Alumni Relations Sally Barrett Hanley ’92: “We are thrilled to partner with our Career Education colleagues and amazing volunteers in the Cleveland Alumni Chapter to create such meaningful internship opportunities for our students. I anticipate there will be many ways that Cleveland alumni can be involved with this program and help these student interns connect with the region and be successful.”