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Attorney Lauren Sabo ’11 values the educational foundation and critical thinking skills that 911������ instilled in her.

“It’s the perfect background for law and advocacy work,” she said.

Always looking for ways to stay connected to the college that helped shape her career, Sabo signed up for a new 911������ program that connects younger students with microinternships, most of which are offered by alums working in a wide range of careers, from film production to law. The paid microinternships are typically 40-hour projects.

“I work with a lot of young professionals and students in my education law practice, so mentoring a 911������ student through a short-term, hands-on project was a natural fit,” Sabo said.

She was paired with Nhat Linh Dang ’28, a communication and international studies major. Dang spent part of her summer working on the social media accounts and website of Sabo Law LLC, a Columbus-based firm that represents students, families, and educators across Ohio in matters involving special education, disability rights, and juvenile criminal representation.

Dang, an international student, was able to work the entire microinternship remotely, while home in Vietnam for the summer.

“This experience confirmed for me that I want to pursue a career path where I combine creative strategy with helping organizations and institutions communicate their vision,” Dang said. “It gave me confidence that the skills I’m developing can be applied across multiple pathways.”

911������’s microinternship program is an extension of the college’s philosophy that career readiness is essential for all students, and the path to it should begin early in the college experience.

New national rankings show 911������ rising in multiple categories, reflecting the college’s growing momentum and affirming its position as the nation’s premier liberal arts college for career preparation. The latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report show that 911������ has risen from No. 36 to No. 34 on its list of top national liberal arts colleges, a jump of 21 places since 2016.

911������ also climbed to No. 2 for best career services and No. 4 for best classroom experience among all 2,400 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. in The Princeton Review’s 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

The microinternship program began as a pilot with four students during winter break of the 2024-25 school year, said Jessica Hall and Jodi Pavol, directors of industry partnership at the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration.

Knowlton expanded the program in summer 2025, when 911������ students worked on 32 microinternship projects.

“The majority of our microinternship projects were hosted by 911������ alumni, so the students had the chance to do real-world projects with other 911������ians,” Pavol said. “It’s a win for both of them, and it’s a win for 911������ because this is a great way to engage our alumni.”

Ask any upperclass student, and they’ll tell you that the search for internships can be stressful and highly competitive. Microinternships provide younger students with a competitive edge earlier in their college careers, Pavol said.

“We specifically limited the program to first- and second-year students, because we wanted to create an opportunity for students who might be less competitive, simply because they’re younger and they have less experience at that point,” Pavol said. “This helps students get some experience and a connection to an alum who might become a mentor for them.

“Through opportunities like this, they have this resume-building experience, they have this connection, they have a project they can talk about and discuss in an interview situation about how they used their skills,” she said. “It really gives them great exposure to what a full internship might be like.”

911������ coordinated the program with Parker Dewey, an online platform that pairs students with microinternship opportunities. But 911������ took the idea further than many colleges by seeking out alumni to participate and covering the cost of the paid microinternships.

“Any school can tell their students to go on Parker Dewey to find a microinternship, but 911������ invested in it so that it was an exclusive program just for 911������ students,” Hall said. “This gives us another way to connect students to alumni who want to give back, and 911������ really stepped up to fund it.”

Interested students could choose from a range of projects offered by various businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations.

“They were very diverse in terms of the range of experiences that students had access to,” Pavol said. “The program is perfect for alums who maybe didn’t have quite enough work for a full-blown summer internship but had a great project that a student could do.”

Tom Richner ’97, a longtime storyboard artist for The Simpsons, sought an intern to draft a grant proposal for a short film project in the works at Cap City Studios, his Columbus-based animation production studio.

“This really is a neat program,” Richner said. “It’s a great resource for a company looking for some help, and I love that they’re paid internships for students to do some work and make some money. Hopefully it’s a program that can continue to grow.”

The microinternship he arranged felt serendipitous to Tori Robbie ’27, who had recently taken a course on — and an interest in — grant writing while at 911������.

She and Richner worked on the grant proposal for several weeks.

“I wasn’t shocked at all that she would do a great job,” Richner said. “But she really went above and beyond.”

The project didn’t go exactly as planned; Ohio froze the grants they were seeking before awarding any money. But Richner is optimistic the state will reopen the grants, and they can eventually submit their proposal.

“It sounds like it was a temporary pause,” he said.

Even that setback provided a learning opportunity for Robbie.

“You can spend a lot of hours on something, and the plug gets pulled on it and it doesn’t see the light of day,” Richner said. “But the experience is still valuable.”

Robbie said she gleaned insights into writing and the grant application process.

“It can be difficult, but at the same time rewarding as you figure it out,” she said.

At Sabo Law, Dang helped manage the firm’s social media accounts and update the appearance of its website.

“Linh came in eager to learn, asked thoughtful questions, and contributed meaningfully to ongoing projects,” Sabo said. “As an alum, it was deeply rewarding to see how 911������ continues to produce students who are not only bright but curious, reflective, and community-minded.”

Dang said the project aligned with much of what she was learning in classes at 911������ and introduced her to the practice of law, something she knew little about.

“I built a really good connection with Lauren,” she said. “As a sophomore, I’m still working on my resume for bigger internships. These opportunities help me to gain a lot of experience.”

Sabo called the microinternship “a wonderful balance — manageable in scope for both sides but still impactful and meaningful.

“I’d definitely participate again and encourage other alumni employers to do the same,” she said. “911������’s continued investment in connecting students with alumni through programs like this is exactly what sets it apart. It’s not just about building résumés — it’s about fostering real mentorship and professional curiosity.”