Commonwealth University Professional Experience Grants help students obtain valuable career experience prior to graduation

Every year in the United States, approximately 3 million students graduate from college and make their way into professional careers. Most employers will tell you that a strong network and relevant career experiences are vital to making that transition successful.

Impactful career experiences foster growth, build confidence and help students hone their career competencies, as well as provide an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned, navigate unfamiliar places and build a professional network. They often act as the first rung of the professional ladder and set students apart, giving them an advantage in the hiring process.

But these experiences can also be expensive, and many students feel forced to decline an opportunity because of the substantial cost that can accompany these experiences.

Commonwealth University’s Professional Experience Grants (PEG) are designed to help students be able to take advantage of such opportunities when they otherwise would not be able to afford to. Rather than see their students be at a disadvantage, CU created PEGs to offset some of the costs of these career launching experiences. And for 150 students during the 2024-25 academic year, a PEG was what made their experience possible.

“Because of the outstanding Commonwealth University faculty and the generosity of our alumni, a Commonwealth education includes transformational career experiences that ensure CU students become exceptional candidates for employment and contributors in their communities after graduation,” said Lynda Michaels, associate vice president for alumni and professional engagement, the department created under the University Advancement division that incorporates both the traditional career development office and the Alumni Association.

Students apply through a process that includes a goals essay, a budget, resume and a faculty letter of recommendation. The process is extensive, but so is the reward. In the 2024-25 academic year, 150 PEGs were awarded for an average award of $1,210 per student and the total of all awards exceeded $165,000. Just over half of the awarded grants went toward internships or study abroad experiences.  

“A donor made my experience possible,” said Matt Yurkunas ’25, a student based in Bloomsburg who completed an internship abroad experience with Feniska in Berlin. “I have no idea if they knew I was on a plane to Germany in that moment, but I hope they at least knew they had made a really big impact on a student.”

The internship abroad solidified Yurkunas’ career goals and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in AI systems management at Carnegie Mellon University.  

Yurkunas is just one of many CU students who have been able to take advantage of opportunities that may have seemed out of reach at one time. Nearly 400 PEGs have been awarded to CU students since 2022 for a total amount of $476,293.

“Receiving a PEG for the internship took a weight off my shoulders for sure, but it also made me proud that I belong to a school that can offer such a thing to their students,” said Emma Scheimer ’24, a marketing major based in Lock Haven who completed a social media internship with Bloomsburg alumnus, Mike Boguski in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Funds for the PEGs come from a combination of alumni donors and university funds. The grants are just one part of Professional U at Commonwealth University and the aspiration that every student has a career experience each year until graduation. Such opportunities include alumni and employer connections, career experiences and philanthropic support woven within each major.