Loras College was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Dr. Scholl Foundation. This award will support the Dr. Scholl Internship Away Scholarship Program. These scholarships are an important part of helping fund students who otherwise couldn’t participate in internships away from home or campus. This is the eighth year the foundation has funded such opportunities with their total support currently totaling $380,000.
Loras highly values the impact an internship can make on a student’s life and career. The Dr. Scholl Internship Away Program is one of many ways the college supports such experiences. Through this particular program students are selected by an application process demonstrating financial need and an already-awarded internship opportunity. The scholarships then assist students with the costs of such additional expenses as housing, transportation and/or food.
Loras is committed to providing accessible internships that expand a student’s involvement beyond the classroom in a hands-on, professional environment. The opportunities, work experience, and skills gained from an internship allow students to stand out when applying for positions after graduation. National statistics indicate students who intern tend to stay in college and are employed post-graduation at a higher rate than those who don’t intern.
Currently, Loras students internship in the Dubuque community, across the nation and around the globe. Through previous grants from Dr. Scholl, Loras students have participated in internships that include sites in Chicago, Disney World, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Washington D.C., Ireland and Portugal. Without the financial assistance provided by the Dr. Scholl Foundation and other organizations, opportunities like these would not be available for Loras students.
Dr. William Scholl of the Scholl Manufacturing Company created the foundation in 1947 to aid others through charitable means, and also left the majority of his estate to this cause after his death in 1968. The foundation, headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., has contributed over $250 million to various organizations since 1980.
Other programs such as the Great Lakes Career Ready Internship program, funded 2014-2018, and the Adducci Loan Fund also enable such hands-on learning opportunities. All told, over 400 students have been able to take advantage of one of these programs over the years.
Loras currently is in the process of raising funds for the Gateway Internship Fund. The Gateway Fund will make more paid internships available by further assisting with extra expenses or even pay.
To learn more about the program, to donate to the Gateway Fund or to refer a foundation that may be able to help Loras in this initiative, please contact Josh Boots (’04), associate vice president for institutional advancement, at 563.588.7329 or by email at joshua.boots@loras.edu.
