Chatham Interns Reaching Success through Internships
Written by: Grace Conde, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning | Reviewed by Hannah Su Hepler, Director of Career Development
Now that we have officially concluded the Spring 2026 internship semester, we are pleased to report another successful semester of Chatham students finding meaningful opportunities for experiential learning within the Pittsburgh area and beyond. 89 students successfully completed an internship during the spring semester. This report serves to analyze the results of the final evaluations sent to the Student Interns and their respective Site Supervisors. These evaluations provide valuable insight into how effectively students are able to apply their academic preparation within professional environments. Overall, this report highlights the professional growth of interns and their contributions and growth over the course of their internship, as well as their successes and achievements upon completing their total hours.
Data Analysis
Data was collected over the course of the internship semester through mid-term and final evaluations via Handshake sent to the interns during their internship, as well as the Site Supervisor responsible for overseeing the student on-site. Data is also compared between internship semesters to measure the growth of the program over time. The Office of Career Development assess students based on the NACE (National Association of College and Employers) Core Competencies. These are as follows: Communication, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology. This data is helpful when determining areas for continued growth among students and targeted opportunities for skill workshops or professional events on campus. Overall, this report affirms the strength of Chatham interns and the skillset that they bring to their internship sites as well as their ability to build relationships and collaborate seamlessly with professionals in their field.
Final Core Competency Evaluation: Site Supervisor Assessment
Bar graph depicting Internship Supervisor evaluation ratings
At the conclusion of each internship semester, supervisors rate their students across the six NACE competencies: Communication, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology. They are asked to rate their students on a scale from 1 (minimal competence) to 5 (exceptional performance). Site supervisor evaluations from Spring 2026 indicate that Chatham interns performed at a consistently high level across all six core competencies.
Teamwork emerged as the most outstanding area, with 96% of students receiving a rating of 5, highlighting interpersonal effectiveness and the ability to collaborate in workplace environments. Professionalism and Technology also demonstrated exceptional intern performance, each with 92% of students rated at the highest level of 5. This data suggests that interns are well-prepared for professional environments and possess strong technical skills.
Critical Thinking and communication were also rated highly with 88% and 84% of ratings for 5’s respectively, reflecting solid analytical abilities as well as strong written and verbal communication. Finally, leadership received a rating of 5 from 72% of student interns, indicating existing strength and a potential for further development. Overall, these results suggest that interns are highly competent and well-equipped for workplace success, with particularly notable strengths in teamwork and professionalism.
Comparing Spring 2026 ratings to data from Fall 2025 semester:
Bar chart comparing Fall 2025 Supervisor ratings to Spring 2026
Across both semesters, site supervisor evaluations indicate that interns consistently performed at a high level across all six core competencies, with a few shifts in ratings between the conclusion of the Fall 2025 semester and Spring 2026. In Fall, Communication was rated as the strongest competency, with 96% of interns receiving a rating of 5, followed closely by Teamwork (92%) and Technology (88%). After concluding Spring 2026, however, Teamwork emerged as the top-rated competency at 96%, while Professionalism and Technology also saw meaningful improvements with ratings each rising to 92%. These improvements suggest continued development in workplace collaboration, adaptability, and technical proficiency among Chatham interns.
Critical Thinking also improved from 80% at the end of Fall 2025 to 88% at the end of Spring 2026, indicating stronger analytical and problem-solving abilities on site at their internships. Leadership remained consistent across both semesters at 72%, reinforcing the strength in their emerging skills and presenting the greatest opportunity for targeted growth among students.
The most notable decline in supervisor ratings occurred in Communication, which decreased from 96% of interns receiving a rating of 5 in the Fall to 84% in Spring. While still a strong area overall, this variability in communication performance across semesters may reflect differences in supervisor expectations. Despite this decrease, all competencies remained at relatively high levels, with at least 72% of interns receiving top ratings in each category. Overall, the data from the Spring semester when compared to Fall 2025 reflects a highly capable and successful group of interns, with particular strengths in teamwork, professionalism, and technology emerging during the Spring semester.
Student Evaluation of Internship:
In addition to analyzing the strengths of the student interns, we also examine the experience that students have at their internship sites. These follow the same rating of 1 (minimal competence) to 5 (exceptional performance).
Bar chart depicting student rating of their internship experience
Student evaluations of their internship experiences reflect overwhelmingly positive perceptions across all areas of competencies.
Relevance to Study: 84% of students rated this a 5, with a small number rating 3 or 4. This indicates that internship and experiential learning opportunities were largely aligned with students’ academic studies and career goals.
Quality of Supervision: 92% of students rated this a 5 and very few students rated it below that. This suggests strong mentorship and collaborative supervision from Internship Site Supervisors and guidance when necessary.
Workplace environment: 100% of students rated this a 5 which highlights exceptionally positive and supportive work environments across all internship experiences.
Project Quality: 76% of students rated this a 5 with a few ratings of 3 and 4. This indicates strong projects and expectations with slight variability.
Tangible Outcomes: 84% of students rated this a 5 with minimal lower ratings, suggesting students left their internship feeling like they produced meaningful work during their time there.
Confidence Development: 80% of students rated this a 5 with some ratings of 3 or 4. This data indicates internships being effective in building confidence with some variation in experience.
Collectively, these findings suggest that students not only performed well but also benefited significantly from supportive environments and meaningful, relevant work.
What did students gain?
As part of the evaluation, students are asked what they gained over the course of their internship or as a result of their work. Student responses affirm that they continue to find meaningful work that directly relates to their goals and academic studies.
“During my internship, I helped with marketing tasks, supported daily projects, and completed work on time. I used my strengths in communication, organization, and creativity to do my tasks well and help the team”
“I was given the opportunity to design the wall patterns for a school gymnasium renovation. This opportunity was especially rewarding because I get to see my design in real life”
“During my internship, I was able to significantly develop my lab skills, especially in histology and tissue preparation. This experience helped me become more confident and precise in a laboratory setting while building a strong foundation in histological techniques”
How did students grow?
We also analyze student responses as a result of their internship. As part of final evaluations, students were asked about their accomplishments during the course of their internship. They were given the chance to leave any feedback about their site, and to share what they felt was their biggest accomplishment over the course of their internship.
Out of the 25 final responses received, 96% of Chatham spring interns reported working in an area related to their intended career field.
“One area I improved was working more independently. During the internship, I got better at managing my time, solving small problems on my own, and being more confident in a professional setting”
“I met with people in my field, and built a relationship with them, something I struggled to do before this internship”
“Communication. As a key part of this role, being able to effectively convey ideas and values to a person was very important. It is a skill I trained highly in this role”
These comments affirm the positive experiences of student interns and the strength of the program.
Feedback from Site Supervisors included comments such as:
[Intern] came in willing to jump right into existing projects and learn. She asks a lot of questions and is willing to work hard. I'm impressed with her drawing and critical thinking skills. – Heather Haines, Sigal Development
[Intern] exceeded my expectations, with a passion for the work unmatched in past intern students. Her attention to detail and critical thinking skills are exceptional. She is a rare, extraordinary talent, with unlimited potential. -Matthew Schleub, Schlueb Architecture
[Intern] is an exceptionally good communicator who stays on top of his work and seeks our new challenges. -Jake Grefenstette, International Poetry Foundation
100% of Site Supervisors reported that they would hire the student if they were financially able.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Chatham University’s Spring 2026 interns demonstrated maturity and confidence at their internship experiences and continued to excel over the course of the semester, making meaningful connections and impressions with employers. The data shows strong evaluations from interns and site supervisors and reflects strong skill sets among all measured competencies.
In addition to strong performance outcomes, qualitative feedback from both students and supervisors further reinforces the depth of student growth, including increased confidence, independence, and the ability to apply academic knowledge in real-world settings. Students not only met expectations but frequently exceeded them, making meaningful contributions to their organizations while developing critical professional skills.
These findings reflect a successful internship program and collaboration among campus departments to prepare students to meet and exceed workplace expectations. Overall, this report affirms the strength of Chatham’s internship program and its continued impact on student development, employer satisfaction, and career readiness. We are so thrilled for these students and their continued success!