Staff Report

The Pack Internship Grant Program has been struggling to find student applicants for the past two weeks due to confusion and misconceptions surrounding the program, according to Associated Students of the University of Nevada Vice President Jessica Salsman.

The program, run by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Career Studio, has partnered with 40 companies to provide 48 paid internships for students at a rate of $12 an hour for 120 hours. Companies from all sectors, from finance to politics to art, are participating in the program according to Salsman.

Salsman also noted that the lack of applications is likely due to misconceptions surrounding the program.

“A lot of students don’t know about the internships that are available,” Salsman said. “I think one of the biggest issues is that students feel too intimidated to apply for the internships because they don’t think they’re going to get them, or they don’t know the process.”

Salsman added that seniors can still apply for the program even if they’re not taking 15 credits next semester and that students abroad can still apply as long as they’re back before the spring semester.

The program was put into motion at the beginning of the last academic year with around 20 companies participating. At its inception, the program used a panel to decide which students were accepted into the program. This year, however, Salsman noted that the decision making falls primarily on the participating companies, which has streamlined the process.

The application period will remain open until Nov. 6.

For more info on the Pack Internship Grant program, head to unr.edu/career/pack-internships or the Career Studio’s physical location in the Thompson Building, Room 101.

The news desk can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.