Austin Peay’s summer internship program forges career paths, community bonds
By: Brian Dunn September 3, 2025
Joshua Martin speaks during a trip to Hendrickson in Clarksville, Tennessee. Martin was one of 11 Austin Peay State University students who participated in the school’s inaugural Summer Internship Program.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – When Austin Peay State University senior Joshua Martin began his summer internship, he wanted experience. Ten weeks later, he walked away with four job opportunities.
Martin’s success was a standout moment in Austin Peay’s inaugural Summer Internship Program, a transformative experience for students who spent their summer helping local businesses and advancing their career trajectories.
The program, a partnership between the APSU Career Success Center and Workforce Essentials, placed students in paid, 10-week internships in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area. The students said the experience was more than a summer job; it was a direct pipeline to professional growth and employment.
From the left, front row, are Sophie Sutton, Destiny Griffin, Lily Skau, Teanna Albin and Tamar Williams. From the left, back row, are Andrew Schramkowski, Aziz Abdukayumov, Alyson Cooper, Joshua Martin, Isaac Billeter and Kade Tjaarda.
A pipeline to a profession
“This internship opportunity allowed me to network with other organizations,” said Martin, who interned at Trane Technologies. “We went on site visits every Friday, and I was able to develop four job opportunities postgraduation with Trane, CDE Lightband, Hankook and Nyrstar.”
The program’s unique structure, blending hands-on work at host organizations with weekly professional development workshops and site visits, was a key to its success.
“A first internship can be intimidating,” said Lily Skau, an engineering physics major who interned at CDE Lightband. “I am incredibly grateful for the mentorship and guidance that this program provided. We met every Friday on campus for workshops on topics from leadership to health insurance and retirement plans. You will not find this kind of support in a traditional internship experience.”
Destiny Griffin works on a service project during the internship program.
Making a real-world impact
That support allowed students to thrive and contribute significantly to their host organizations.
At Rossview Farms, communication major and design intern Destiny Griffin accomplished what three firms hadn’t: she designed a logo that Rosscreek Builders is considering for official use. She said it was a powerful validation moment.
“It really gave me motivation to keep bettering my development professionally as well as personally,” Griffin said. “It showed that I’m just as valuable to a company as anyone else.”
The impact was felt across the community.
Teanna Albin, a business major interning with the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce, developed concepts and marketing strategies for welcome signage at two major city entry points.
At United Way of Greater Nashville, communication major Tamar Williams helped coordinate major outreach events, including “Stuff the Bus” and “National Night Out.” Seeing hundreds of families receive school supplies at the latter event felt “full circle,” Williams said, and affirmed her passion for public relations.
At We Notarize Nationwide Notary Services, business major Aziz Abdukayumov created a new budgeting template to project cash flow, while intern Andrew Schramkowski, a computer information systems major, improved the company’s SEO on Google.
The experience was similar for communication major Alyson Cooper at Solutions 21, where she worked on high-level projects focusing on leadership development and retention.
“I’m most proud of presenting ideas and projects that had been on the back burner for the team and seeing them gain traction,” Cooper said. “It was rewarding to know that my contributions were not just helpful in the moment but could have a lasting impact moving forward.”
Joshua Martin, left, teams up with Issac Billeter, center, and Andrew Schramkowski on an engineering puzzle during the program.
From classroom to career
The hands-on work also provided career clarity. Finance major Kade Tjaarda earned his insurance agent license while interning at a local GEICO office, while computer and information systems major Isaac Billeter’s work in cybersecurity at CDE Lightband encouraged him to pursue a career in the field. For Martin, the experience at Trane affirmed his academic path.
“My internship helped confirm that this is truly something that I want to pursue,” the senior engineering technology major said, “and that I did not waste the last five years of my college career.”
The program proved valuable for students who discovered a different path. Sophie Sutton, a psychology major and research intern at Rossview Farms, realized that a corporate environment wasn’t for her, which clarified her goal to attend graduate school. Despite the placement not being a perfect fit, she endorsed the program and praised the Career Success Center’s staff for their support.
“I would 100% recommend this program,” Sutton said. “The Career Success Team was amazing and always checked up on me and other students.”
Every student echoed that sentiment: The program is a priceless opportunity.
“Don’t take it for granted,” Martin advised future interns. “Show up every day open-minded and ready to learn new things. This opportunity is yours, so make it how you want it.”
Meet the interns: In their own words
- Aziz Abdukayumov, a business major, interned at We Notarize Nationwide Notary Services. He gained hands-on financial experience by analyzing revenue trends and creating monthly reports. He developed a new budgeting template to help the company forecast its cash flow more effectively. “Seeing my work directly contribute to better financial planning was rewarding and showed me that even as an intern, I could make a lasting impact.”
- Teanna Albin, a business major, interned at the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce, where she led a community project: designing strategies for welcome signage for the city. The role required her to present to community leaders, which helped her build confidence. “I am proud of the amount of times I had to present my project. At first I was a bit nervous, but as the summer went on, I became more confident.”
- Isaac Billeter, a computer and information systems major, interned with the IT department at CDE Lightband. He worked on crucial cybersecurity tasks to protect the company’s virtual systems and customer information, confirming his desire for a career in the field. “I recommended they take on more interns and vouched for the talent within APSU’s student population. I was later applauded by my site preceptor for speaking up and felt quite proud of myself.”
- Alyson Cooper, a communication major, interned at Solutions 21, where she worked on leadership development, retention, and succession planning projects. She helped advance initiatives that had been stalled, creating lasting value. “It was rewarding to know that my contributions were not just helpful in the moment but could have a lasting impact moving forward.”
- Destiny Griffin, a communication major, interned as a design intern at Rossview Farms. She succeeded by designing a logo for Rosscreek Builders that is now being considered for official use—succeeding where three professional firms had not. “The moment I’m most proud of is creating a logo that Rosscreek Builders will potentially use after going through three different firms before I arrived. It really gave me motivation.”
- Joshua Martin, an engineering technology major, interned at Trane Technologies. A proactive networker, he leveraged the program’s weekly site visits to develop four potential job opportunities after graduation. He also helped Trane by updating the entire work order database for the automotive department. “My advice to future interns is that once you get this opportunity, the ball is in your hands. Don’t take it for granted!”
- Andrew Schramkowski, a computer information systems major, interned at We Notarize Nationwide Notary Services. He managed the company’s technology and social media, increasing its Google and GoDaddy SEO and hosted a site visit for his fellow interns. “This program has helped gain new experiences of what goes on in the professional world in Montgomery County.”
- Lily Skau, an engineering physics major, interned at CDE Lightband, where she blended her academic interests to conduct a unique research project on the sociology of energy consumption. Her findings sparked immediate discussions among department leaders about creating new customer programs. “I am grateful to have been able to provide new and useful information to different teams and to be in the room as they discussed its future impacts.”
- Sophie Sutton, a psychology major, interned at Rossview Farms, conducting historical research at the Montgomery County Archives. The internship provided crucial career clarity, confirming her goal to pursue graduate school and an academic career. “I would 100% recommend this program. The Career Success Team was amazing and always checked up on me and other students.”
- Kade Tjaarda, a finance major, interned at the Daniel Ingram Insurance (GEICO) office. His internship went beyond typical duties, as he earned his insurance agent license, gaining experience quoting and selling insurance policies. “I learned the importance of confidence and how that plays into sales. I think learning sales is very important in whatever field I want to be in.”
- Tamar Williams, a communication major, interned at United Way of Greater Nashville. She worked on community-focused projects, coordinating events like “Stuff the Bus” and “National Night Out.” “Seeing hundreds of families showing up to get school supplies for the upcoming school year, it felt full circle to see the first project I worked on come into fruition.”