Feature Story

April 15, 2015 | By Katie Nunner '15

A Discovery Channel

‘Summer on the Cuyahoga’ internship program provides conduit to success

Ibrahim Saeed ’15

Ibrahim Saeed ’15 was in his element this summer—combining his passions for computer science, economics, and people with a paid “Summer on the Cuyahoga” internship.

Saeed interned with Flashstarts, a Cleveland-based business startup accelerator and venture fund focused on innovative uses of software and technology. He worked with <remesh, a start-up chat platform, as an iOS developer.

“I learned my strengths and moved toward understanding what I’m good at and what people see in me,” says Saeed, an international student from Karachi, Pakistan.

This economics and computer science double major wore many hats in the internship position—from communicating with the CEO of the organization to giving presentations on his project.

He encourages students to seek out internship opportunities—even if the experiences might seem unrelated to their majors.

“There’s a lot of personal growth to help you turn into the kind of person you want to be,” he says.

Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) is a unique summer internship program open to students of Ohio Wesleyan and other select institutions. The program brings together 50-70 students for an intensive summer immersion program designed to help interns explore the professional, civic and social offerings of the Cleveland area. SOTC offers students challenging internships, community introductions, alumni connections, and group housing for the summer.