“It’s not your typical final exam.” 

This is how Jennifer Feather, UNC Greensboro’s Humanities at Work program’s co-principal investigator, described the showcase that would wrap the first class of students’ work in the program. But for all in attendance, the student presentations perfectly displayed all the knowledge and experience they absorbed during their internships.  

Putting Degrees (and Funding!) to Work 

The Humanities at Work (H@W) program kicked off its pilot season in August 2024 after receiving the largest Mellon grant in UNCG ‘s history. The $5 million grant covers five years of the program including intern wages, program staffing, and funding for a curriculum that actively prepares students to apply their humanities degrees in the workforce. In an age where students are constantly questioned about how they’ll make money with their college degrees, H@W provides a solution.  

“I’m humbled everyday by the talent and dedication of the team that runs this program, Dr. Jennifer Feather, Dr. Heather Adams, Dr. Lauren Shook and Dr. Megan Walters,” said Maura Heyn, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Humanities at Work brings together talented students with productive and transformative community partners and demonstrates to the world that pursuing a degree in humanities is a choice that students can and should make.” 

Undergraduates accepted into the program are placed into paid internships with local nonprofits, but real-world experience and income represent only a portion of the benefits they receive from the program. Weekly classes allow them to reflect on their work and share experiences with peers, practice job-seeking skills, and attend seminars led by humanities majors with successful careers in various fields.  

The first class of students in the program clearly recognized the need for their skills in the community, a need that is acutely appreciated in the nonprofit sector. It’s a win-win partnership for the University and for the nonprofits who participate. 

Partner organizations for the pilot program included Abundant Life Ministries, Greensboro History Museum, UNCG Special Collections and University Archives, and the Weatherspoon Art Museum. Although the internships provided general on-the-job experience, there were unexpected impacts that could only be articulated by the students themselves. 

Finding Purpose Through Community 

Elijah Young is an international and global studies major with a unique appreciation for the ways his peers have helped focus him for purpose in his career. He arrived at UNCG with the motivation of a competitive athlete and a curiosity about other cultures that drove his academics.   

Young’s grandfather played basketball in Argentina, so he has always wanted to connect with his extended family there. But he wasn’t sure how his global studies degree would translate to a career.   

“I chose global studies because I didn’t want a major that would put me in a box, but leading up to this year, I still felt a little lost about what I want to do in the future,” Young explains. “My peers in the H@W program have really inspired me. We all do different things, but we bring different specialties to the non–profits we serve.” 

Young’s cohort worked with Abundant Life Ministries (ALM), which provides underserved communities with assistance including translation services, spiritual guidance, health clinics, and food programs. The students helped with ALM’s Monday Market, where community members can “shop” for free groceries, and Tuesday night family dinners, where Young gravitated towards youth who were regulars. He soon became a trusted mentor for 9-year-old Cameron. 

“In my internship, I learned about different cultures, religion, community, and communication,” Young explains. “And although unexpected, I really embraced the role of being a mentor at Abundant Life. I’ve learned so much about myself from Cameron.”  

In the weekly reflections in his H@W class, Young has explored nonprofit career paths, working with youth, and improving his Spanish skills. He hopes to study abroad next semester before graduating but also hopes to continue working with Abundant Life Ministries.  

“It’s intimidating coming to college, but the people I’ve met along the way have made a big impact on me” he says. “My peers and advisors in the H@W program and the people I work with at ALM have helped me find my purpose. Being around like-minded people brings out the best parts of you and helps you grow.”  

Learning How the World Works 

When Spanish major Daniela Campbell ‘25 was chosen to work on a two-person team of interns for UNCG Special Collections and University Archives, she hoped she would get along with her assigned teammate. But it turns out, working with history major Magnus Holland would be the least of the real-world challenges she would tackle in her H@W experience. 

Campbell and Holland learned early the benefits of leaning into their strengths. “Our work was so interdependent,” she says. “My strengths were communication and public speaking, and he was much more comfortable with the research.”  

They began working on a project to organize and categorize UNCG student oral histories in the library’s digital collections. Then, weeks into their work, the system crashed. Realizing that nothing’s more real-world than problem solving because of technological difficulties, they accepted the learning opportunity and considered a pivot while the digital files migrated to a new system. 

Keeping true to their mission, they decided to collect physical artifacts and design an exhibit of student life from the early 1960s through the mid 1980s. Their finished project is on display in the Blakeney Hodges Reading Room.  

Despite the roadblocks, Campbell describes her H@W experience as a “confidence boost.” 

“The way it’s structured is very unique in that you have a classroom and work component,” she explains. “In the classroom, I could feel my confidence building with this diverse group of peers who are all really good at their disciplines. It’s refreshing to see different people bring their own perspectives, but also value what you bring to the table.” 

Campbell’s favorite part of the program was the weekly agora. Named for the Greek word for marketplace, these Friday seminars featured guest speakers who shared how they applied their humanities degrees in successful careers.  

“I felt like I was going to a conference every Friday,” she explains. “Extremely intelligent people just talking about what they love.” As a result, she considered working in career fields that she never imagined before: “Just because you are a humanities major, doesn’t mean you have to teach or go to grad school right out of college. You have options!” 

As a business minor, Campbell will cast a wide net for jobs after graduation. “I really don’t have a preference, as long as it allows me to use my second language,” she says. “I just want to get out there and learn how the world works.” 

Doors to Unexpected Spaces 

Hana Ishige ‘25 is an English major whose H@W internship with the Weatherspoon Art Museum has already helped her land a job.  

Ishige was among 121 honors-students selected to hold one of three highly prestigious Journal Internships of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. This summer, she’ll be editing submissions and formatting the organization’s journals. The program is national, and Hana is the first editor from North Carolina in Sigma Tau Delta history. 

Arriving at UNCG during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ishige remembers changing her major from math to English so she could pursue her passion for publishing. She’s never looked back. When she heard about the H@W pilot program, she was so excited: “I loved that it wasn’t just a paid internship program, but also a class where we could meet up and hold space for the potential of humanities majors.” 

At the Weatherspoon, she worked with a cohort of students who catalog, research, and group objects by theme. Their “object tagging” labels art for public access beyond art historians, to broaden engagement of the Weatherspoon’s collection.  

Although she was initially concerned that her internship would only be beneficial to art or history majors, Ishige soon understood that English majors with writing skills are needed everywhere. In writing art descriptions and preparing for art chats, she found her skills absolutely necessary to help the Weatherspoon connect with the greater Greensboro community. 

Aside from the rewarding work at the museum, Ishige appreciated the ways she was able to network with faculty through the program. Heather Adams, H@W internship coordinator Lauren Shook, and her supervisors at the Weatherspoon – Raechel Cook and Hannah Southern – were always available with advice. Ishige refers to the program as a “huge open door” for students to get experience, help from faculty, career preparation, and validation that their passions and academic interests will pay off for them.  

Hope for the Future 

At the beginning of the program, Megan Walters, director of Career and Professional Development, posed a question to the group: What are you going to do with your humanities degree? And at the showcase, Ishige concluded the pilot program’s student presentations by saying, “The answer is right here in this room.” 

Feather added that the 17 students in the pilot group “knocked their socks off” with the “joy and commitment they brought to their projects.” “I am beyond grateful to my colleagues, our community partners and these students,” she said. “They give me hope for the future every single day.” 

And speaking of the future, next year’s Humanities at Work program will include 50 students and 12 partner organizations! As director Heather Adams pointed out, “That’s more connections, more experience, more working, and more community engagement.” 

Walters praised the program, noting that “even in a short time, it feels like we are celebrating a signature part of what makes UNCG so special.” 

“These students didn’t just intern this semester, they contributed, collaborated, found their voices, learned about accountability, and dealt with conflict,” Walters said. “They celebrated a job well done, and I have no doubt that they left their work sites better than they found them.” 

Feather was right. The showcase was way more than an exam. It was the beginning of these 17 students’ careers, and UNC Greensboro made it happen.  

Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.