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Successful Summer Internship-Housing Program at WSC
Posted: Mar 02 2015
With all of the job opportunities in Williston, housing college interns has become a major concern. Last year Williston State College housed 73 student interns in Frontier Hall. Students from over America were attracted by Williston's economic growth, and WSC was able to provide them affordable and safe housing in an area that often does not have that luxury. After the success of last year's program, WSC will be offering this internship-housing program again this summer.
Williston State College is now accepting applications for this ten-week program from students who are enrolled in an accredited college or university, are at least 18 years old, and have an internship or supervised research program in the Williston area. Bonnie Finch, Director for Residence Life, explained, "Frontier Hall offers a premium residence hall experience for students. Rooms are spacious, and suite-style living allows for more privacy and security than traditional dormitory living." With 85 rooms, Frontier Hall has both single and double room capabilities. A single-suite room will be $210 per week and a double room $140. Each suite has modern furnishing, wireless internet, cable TV, and air-conditioning. A kitchenette and laundry are located in the common areas.
With Frontier Hall alleviating housing concerns, interns had a rare opportunity to take advantage of Williston's growing economy where several professions and academic programs were in need of help. "The internship-housing program has been just outstanding," according to Terry Olson, Executive Director of WSC foundation. "It helped our organization, especially since we are always short on employees in the summer." Fran Zerr, Customer Service Consultant at Job Service of North Dakota agreed. "The housing program enabled Vector Control to hire four Gonzaga interns for our summer season. This would not have been possible if these four students had to pay for their own lodging, given the current housing situation here." Mike Amundson, the facility supervisor at Williston Parks & Recreation District, added: "We were able to bring in four interns for the first time in WPRD history. Everything ran smoothly and our interns appreciated the accommodations that Williston State College provided."
Several other companies throughout the Williston area were able to hire students to fulfill the demand for workers. "This program opened a lot of doors for these students," Olson continued, "so much so that several ended up staying and accepting full-time positions here in Williston." Darin Krueger, the Executive Director at the Williston ARC and Williston Park and Recreation agreed, "We hired two of our interns from last summer full-time and could not be happier with the experience we had."
Williston State College provided an avenue for companies in the community to hire interns, which in turn allowed for several students to gain experience for their future careers. Melody Mileur, Communication Officer at Williams County, explained, " [Last summer] I was grateful to be [afforded] housing in an area where it is a daily concern among workers. The WSC's summer housing program not only makes summer jobs and internships more appealing for applicants but it also allows employers the benefit of knowing that their workers will be afforded the chance to focus their energy on their job, as basic quality of life is already provided to them. The summer housing program allowed me the opportunity to spend my summer focusing solely on my internship and the great learning opportunities that Williston has to offer."
For more information, contact the Director for Residence Life at wsc.housing@willistonstate.edu.
For other information regarding Williston State, visit www.willistonstate.edu, call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.
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