Elon Queen City Internship Grant recipients reflect on summer experience in Charlotte

Eight students were awarded funds for the Elon University Queen City Internship Grant.

The first students to receive the Elon University Queen City internship grants are reflecting on their opportunities this summer. Through generous donations, the new grant supports students doing registered, unpaid internships at local non-profits in the metro Charlotte region. The grant is available through Elon’s National Campus Programs in coordination with the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC). Elon opened a new campus in Charlotte, North Carolina in September 2023.

The first students to receive the grant recently finished their summer experiences in Charlotte. Students from a variety of majors (sport management, business analytics, communication design, entrepreneurship and journalism) were awarded funds.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) intern and sport management major, Christian Atwater ’26, said that her internship at the ACC was “very insightful in just how much work goes into supporting student-athletes. I was able to contribute to the planning and execution of meaningful projects that enhance the student-athlete experience like the Unity Tour and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings while also gaining valuable professional experience in a conference office. This internship has certainly piqued my interest in exploring sport administration as a possible career path. I am very thankful to Elon and the Queen City Grant for providing such impactful support that enriched my summer in Charlotte and overall college experience.”

Christian Atwater in front of ACC sign
Christian Atwater ’26 interned with the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Spending the summer with the Elon in Charlotte program has been a great experience,” said sport management major Sebastian Schroeter ’25. “I have spent two months interning in the Athletic Communications department at Queens University of Charlotte, learning from industry professionals at various events hosted by Elon faculty, and exploring what living in the city is like as a young professional. This experience and grant have given me the freedom to understand what I want in workplace, home and city environments. I am thankful to have received the grant to enhance my experience and put me on a trajectory for success!”

Jack Halpern ’25, double major in business analytics and entrepreneurship and innovation through an internship in Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s Business Intelligence & Data Analytics team.

“Working alongside this team allowed me to gain guidance and support in exploring new data sources and ways of analyzing data to present it in a professional and consumable manner,” said Halpern. “My time at GISP has also allowed me to fully immerse myself in the business side of the organization and see firsthand how my studies can align with my passion for nonprofit work.”

National Campus Programs, Study USA, and the SPDC are extremely grateful to everyone who made this support possible.

Students interested in learning more about the Elon in Charlotte programs can check out the Study USA website. Applications for the summer and fall programs in Charlotte open October 1. More information on the Queen City Internship Grant can be found here. Sport management students can learn more about opportunities here.