This summer, Carter Burden Network was proud to welcome talented young people through two meaningful partnerships: the CUNY Career Launch program and the TEAK Fellowship. Both initiatives share a common thread, connecting motivated students with real-world experience, mentorship, and a deeper understanding of the communities we serve.
For the sixth year running, Carter Burden Network partnered with CUNY Career Launch, a paid summer internship initiative for undergraduate students across The City University of New York. The program is designed particularly for students who haven't yet had a professional internship, pairing them with hands-on roles across fields like healthcare, STEM, marketing, and social services.
This year, four CUNY students joined our team, participating in a 7-week program: one week of training followed by six weeks of hands-on placement, working roughly 19 hours a week.
Alexander Rodriguez, one of this year's CUNY Career Launch interns, shared what he had learned from the program:
"I realized that I had dedicated all this time towards my academics, but had little to no work experience, which is something that I would need once I graduated... I applied in hopes of being able to gain valuable work and intern experience in a position that not only helps others, but also helps me grow my knowledge about my interests and introduces new career paths."
“I learned a lot in my role as an intern but what stood out most to me was being able to provide translation assistance as well as having the opportunity to present such an important initiative at various locations. Being able to use my bilingual abilities means a lot to me as a Hispanic person, as it allows me to expand the amount of people I can provide help for. Whether it’s translating an email or letter, or providing in the moment Spanish-English translation, being someone that could help facilitate communication helped increase my confidence in the workplace.”
"My experience with CBN has opened my eyes to a few career paths that I had closed my mind off to in the past... I learned about careers such as medical social work, occupational therapy, and becoming a social worker in settings like CBN's older adult centers. These centers and facilities are crucial for helping older adults that may struggle with social isolation or other issues that disrupt activities of daily living."
Carter Burden Network also holds a long-standing partnership with the TEAK Fellowship, a program that identifies talented students from low-income families and helps them reach their fullest potential through education, networking, and community support.
Whether through CUNY Career Launch or the TEAK Fellowship, our summer interns brought fresh energy, curiosity, and a genuine eagerness to learn and connect. Programs like these are central to our mission, not only do they give young people valuable career exposure and mentorship, but they also strengthen the fabric of the communities we serve.
We're grateful to our staff mentors, our partner organizations, and, most of all, to the students themselves for making this summer such a meaningful one