Six undergraduates discuss what they’ve learned on the job
Amos Tiyo arrived at Tufts from Kenya with, in his words, “really big goals.” Foremost among them, he wants to connect a professional interest in economics with a very personal interest in ensuring more people get the cancer treatment they need.
Despite his lofty aspirations, Tiyo wasn’t sure how to reach them. “And then Tufts just laid out every single thing that I need to achieve all these big goals,” he said.
One way Tufts helped was by providing funds to support Tiyo as he interned at the Center for Global Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “I couldn’t have wished for a better experience,” he said.
Tiyo is far from alone in exploring his career options during summer break. In a postgraduation survey of the Tufts Class of 2025, 86% of respondents said they had completed an internship during their undergraduate years; 65% completed two or more internships.
“It’s about building the bridge between the academic work of a student and the actual work they will be doing after graduation,” said Sue Atkins, associate director of employer relations at the Tufts University Career Center. “I’ve seen the growth and change of students who’ve gone through these experiences.”
To ensure that students can take advantage of internship opportunities, even when they offer little or no pay, the Tufts Career Center offers a range of donor-supported funds. In 2026, more than 60 undergraduates received support for summer internships through these programs. Six of them spoke with Tufts Now about their experiences.
After a family tragedy, Amos Tiyo wants to make cancer treatments more accessible.
Amos Tiyo, A28
Health equity intern, The Center for Global Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
I lost my sister to breast cancer, and that’s the primary reason why I ended up in this internship.
We’re looking at cancer health equity and how we can bridge the gap between cancer treatment in different countries and in the U.S. Because I’m studying economics, there's an opportunity to see where there are gaps and how I can help from the financial side.
I’ve been able to learn things that I couldn’t imagine. I’ve been able to sit at tables with people who make high-end decisions that affect a big population of people. It’s solidified my interest in this work because I’ve seen where the disparity is—it’s in people getting money to address cancer. Financial decisions impact so much of what happens.
I came straight from Kenya with really big goals, and Tufts has given me the tools I need to achieve them. I just need to walk down the path and achieve the things that I told myself I will achieve.
Audrey Zhou is considering a career in research rather than medicine.
Audrey Zhou, A28
Research Assistant, Zeng Lab at Tufts University School of Medicine
A lot of STEM kids who are interested in medicine question whether they want to commit to med school or not. So, I wanted to see if research, instead of medicine, was something I would be interested in.
At the Zeng Lab, I’m working with a Ph.D. student, investigating how a gene called HES1 can affect mast cell activity within the context of osteoarthritis. Mast cells are immune cells that can trigger or drive inflammation. The research process is so collaborative. I’ve learned to trust myself and that it’s OK to rely on my mentors—they’re always here to help.
Getting to experience research firsthand is a lot different than reading about it. Every day is different, and I never know what to expect. If I couldn’t try things out and experiment, I might feel more pressure to go into medicine, just because that’s a popular path. Now that I know I’m interested in research, I can narrow my focus. It’s been super valuable.
Rene Zhang stands in front of an outdoor exhibit that she helped set up.
Rene Zhang, A28 (BFA)
Exhibition and curatorial intern, The Griffin Museum of Photography
I was set on being a graphic designer or a user interface/user experience designer when I started college. But my interests have shifted. I’m really interested in curating. I never had an interest in that before I came to Tufts, but I’ve taken a couple of classes that gave me an intro into the work and the research that goes into an exhibition. I wanted to do more in a professional environment.
One of the things that I wasn’t expecting when I came into this internship was that every day is different. There are some days when we’re doing exhibition turnovers, where we’re doing a lot of physical stuff like getting things in frames, taking things off the wall, putting things up on the wall. There are other days when I’m doing research. I’m strengthening a lot of different skills.
I’m very lucky to be working in a position that I enjoy and that is so aligned with what I want to do in the future.
Fiona Hinrichsen helps recent immigrants from China at Worldway’s Boston office.
Fiona Hinrichsen, A28
Client relations intern, Worldway New Immigrant Alliance
My dad works in immigration, but on the visa side, with people who haven’t yet immigrated. I grew up in China and Vietnam and know that I also want to do something in international relations.
Worldway is very well known in China, and they just opened this Boston center as a space to bring together people who have immigrated to help them build a community and to find support. We help them with things like finding housing and schooling.
What I really like about this experience is the person-to-person interactions. This has highlighted that what I enjoy is learning individual stories and how they are a reflection of something larger. That’s made me think about careers in cultural relations, like working for something like the Smithsonian and helping tell people’s stories.
Nelson Chen wanted to find an internship that combined his interests in finance and civic engagement.
Nelson Chen, A28
Finance, accounting, and development intern, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)
I want to do meaningful work and find a career that intersects my interests in finance and civic engagement. One way Tufts has allowed me to explore those interests is through my nonprofit accounting internship this summer.
At BCNC, we provide a wide range of educational and economic opportunities and resources to the Asian American community, as well as all immigrant communities in the Greater Boston area. This work is closely connected to my own identity as an Asian American and as the child of immigrant parents. It has allowed me to see that the work I’m doing is making a meaningful impact on the community I care deeply about.
I’ve learned so much from our CFO and from networking with people across the organization. I’ve realized that there is a career path that’s at the intersection of my interest in civic engagement, doing community work that’s meaningful, making a social impact, but also staying in finance. That’s what I wanted out of this experience.
Annie Shactman (left) canvassing in downtown Boston for Environment America.
Annie Shactman, A28
Clean water intern, Environment America
I’d never had an internship, and I wanted to get some experience. There’s a lot of variety [in this role]: I’ve done research, canvassing, and postcarding, which is getting people to sign postcards that we mail to senators and state representatives.
There is a report coming out about inland waterways, so I’ve been finding groups that we can reach out to. We’re going to water races to talk to athletes. We’re reaching out to fishing organizations. Everybody wants clean water, especially people who use it recreationally.
There’s a lot of pressure in our current economy to find careers that are motivated by money. But finding a path that allows me to work on something that I’m passionate about and care deeply about is so important. I would love to find a career at the intersection of psychology and the environment. I don’t know what that is or what that looks like yet, but I’ve learned that I enjoy research and policy, and the way that people think about policies and how they portray them to the public.
