By Anne Huber

By now, you have probably seen signs and advertisements around campus telling you to sign up for an Exploreship over J-term. But what exactly is an Exploreship? Who is it available to? Does it have anything to do with space travel? As the two sophomore student members of the Alumni Board, Denghui Sun ’14 and I have been in the lower level of the campus center this week trying to spread the word. Exploreships is a January break program offered by the Alumni Board and the Internship Office to connect current sophomores with Mac alumni who work or have experience in the student’s area of interest. The program allows student to learn more about real-life experiences in a field or profession they are curious about without requiring a major commitment. Exploreships can be one of three options: an informational interview, a one-day job shadow, or a three-day job shadow. As a student, you can select which option or options are of interest to you. The informational interview can be lunch or coffee and can serve as an informal way to learn more about an area that interests you. If you opt for one of the job shadows, a more in-depth perspective is offered and a hands-on project may be arranged by the alum to get you more involved. These are not internships and are not done for credit, but can enable students to make connections that may lead to future opportunities. This year the program is being offered in the Twin Cities, Washington DC, and, for the first time, New York. If you are going to be in any of these cities over break, it is a great opportunity to meet alumni in your area. Remember: if you aren’t a sophomore or you don’t live in any of these cities, the Alumni Office or the CDC can help you find alums to contact in your area of interest. Last year, the program had very positive feedback. Some of the local organizations involved included Second Harvest, Grassroots Solutions, the Minnesota Twins, MPR, Hennepin County Library, and Como Zoo. The program is expanding this year and over 60 alums have volunteered already. These alumni are excited to meet current students and share their work experiences and career paths. Interested in signing up? Fill out the form found at the web address below before November 1st: http://www.macalester.edu/internships/forms/career-exploreship.html Have any questions? Contact Michael Porter in the Internship Office at [email protected].