Academics

Chapel intern finds passion for data through summer internship

Greg Mitchell, a senior and a Paterno Fellow double majoring in economics and community, environment and development, spent the summer as a consultant with Bates White Economic Consulting. Mitchell was accepted to the Chapel Executive Internship program through the College of the Liberal Arts, which gave him a $5,000 stipend so he could work and live in Washington, D.C., for the summer. During his internship, Mitchell worked on a case dealing with alleged anticompetitive behavior and intellectual property rights where he had the opportunity to work directly with the partners at the firm.

“I could not imagine having spent my time anywhere else this summer,” said Mitchell. “I absolutely loved my experience in D.C. and at Bates White, and I highly recommend students get an experience interning away from home. I am very grateful to the Chapels for having created this program.” The Chapel Executive Internship program encourages liberal arts students who excel academically to pursue premium internships in the private sector.

Mitchell credits his internship experience with helping him realize he wants to work with data. After seeing how programming can be used to obtain important insights from data, Mitchell was confident enough to finally enroll in programming classes at Penn State. Mitchell finds the “practical implications of econometrics and computer programming incredibly exciting and hopes to continue to develop these skills.”

Mitchell is also enrolled in the IUG program with the energy, environmental, and food economics master's program in the College of Agricultural Sciences. After a successful summer internship, Mitchell has the opportunity to return to Bates White Consulting upon graduation. In his long-term career, Mitchell would like to work in international development and environmental policy.

The Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program was established by Virginia ‘Jinnie’ Todd Chapel and her husband, John, with leadership gifts creating a $2 million endowment. Virginia Todd Chapel graduated from Penn State in 1965 as an English major. Virginia and John generously began the internship program in order to encourage liberal arts majors to pursue a career in the business/private sector. To learn more about the Chapel Executive Internship Program, visit http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/experiences/internships/chapel-executive-internship-program.

Last Updated October 24, 2018

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