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Community Leader Internship Program Underway

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Program Encourages Emerging Young Professionals to Consider Opportunities in the Ohio Valley

The eleventh edition of the Community Leader Internship Program (CLIP) started today, with fifteen area students placed at businesses and organizations throughout the Ohio Valley.

CLIP is a youth retention and community leadership initiative of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley (CFOV) that was established in 2013.

Designed for college students, CLIP will continue to showcase the merits of the Ohio Valley by pairing participants with paid internships, professional/personal development and networking opportunities. The goal of the program is to change the mindset of upcoming college graduates and demonstrate possibilities do exist to “work here, live here and be here”. The program is supported by several sponsors and partners with a common interest in promoting and enhancing the area’s attractiveness to emerging professionals.

CLIP is playing an important role in ongoing retention efforts in the areas served by CFOV. Students applying to the program must reside in Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Tyler or Wetzel counties in West Virginia or Belmont or Jefferson counties in Ohio but can attend a college or university outside of those areas.

Students are selected through a competitive application process, which includes an independent review committee comprised of area professionals, and then matched with a host site that reflects their academic or career interests.

“Reversing the trend of population loss is a puzzle with many pieces. While we are fully aware there are many elements that shape a young person’s choice in where they choose to live after college graduation, we feel strongly about cultivating opportunities to shine a different light on the Ohio Valley. Things are happening all around us that demonstrate well-rounded success is possible here,” shared Susie Nelson, executive director of CFOV.
“CLIP is just one type of program that can inspire new growth and it’s a great opportunity for philanthropy to be involved in the process. This program doesn’t only educate our student participants, it also offers program partners – our sponsors, host sites, subject experts and more – an opportunity to be part of a collaborative and homegrown solution.”

The 2023 class of participants includes 15 students from communities throughout the valley.

Of those participating, 10 students are first-year program participants, and five students are returning for a second-year experience. Students work Monday-Thursday at their host sites and spend each Friday at the CFOV office for personal and professional development programming and team building activities. The 2023 program will conclude July 21.

2023 Community Leader Internship Program Participants, with * reflecting returning students:

NameCountyMajorHost Site
Brooke AndersonOhioPublic RelationsEasterseals
Annaliese AyresBelmontSpecialized Studies/Recreation, EnvironmentOSU Extension – Belmont County
Rachel Barnett*JeffersonPsychology, Neuroscience, & Environmental ScienceOSU Extension – Jefferson County
Kelsey CrawfordBrookeNeuroscience and BehaviorChange, Inc.
Sydney Crawford*BrookeUndecided, interest in Legal StudiesRokisky Law
Jonathan DuvallBelmontEnvironmental, Soil and Water SciencesCaptina Conservancy
Giulio Gentile*BelmontAerospace EngineeringTouchstone Research Laboratory
Grace Hamilton*JeffersonEarly Childhood EducationOglebay Institute/Schrader Center
Andrew KomorowskiOhioEnglishJarvis Law Office
Kacey Kovach*OhioBusinessBelmont Savings Bank
Ethan LeachBelmontBiology (Pre-Health)Dr. Daniel Wilson’s Office
Kiera O’BrienJeffersonPsychology and SociologyU.S. Northern District Bankruptcy Court
Alexa OliverOhioElementary EducationWheeling Country Day School
Kaelyn OliverOhioPsychologyHouse of the Carpenter
Briann TempletonTylerCivil EngineeringSwiss Valley Associates, Inc.

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