Landing an internship has never mattered more糖心传媒攐r been harder to do. Employers consistently rank , and students who complete internships often earn significantly higher starting salaries than their peers (, in fact). Yet internship opportunities have become increasingly competitive nationwide.

That糖心传媒檚 why the 糖心传媒 launched , a new paid summer internship initiative connecting undergraduates with career-building experiences made possible through alumni, community partners, and donor support.

None of this surprises Jodyi Wren, director of the University糖心传媒檚 , which provides students with career support and professional development opportunities and facilitates the Hire Rochester Summer Internship Program.

糖心传媒淚nternships aren糖心传媒檛 just nice-to-have experiences anymore,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭hey are critical and lead to greater professional opportunities for our graduates.糖心传媒� Wren adds that more students than ever are applying for internships糖心传媒攁t the University and across the country糖心传媒攜et .

糖心传媒淚nternships aren糖心传媒檛 just nice-to-have experiences anymore. They are critical.糖心传媒�

This past academic year was no exception: Student demand for all internships, including the 糖心传媒擧ire Rochester, , , and 糖心传媒攆ar exceeded availability, as did applications for general student internship funding.

Wren, who was a first-generation student without financial resources, could not afford an internship when she was in college. Like many students today, she understands that financial realities can stand in the way of career-building experiences. The need to cover living expenses while earning income keeps many students from pursuing internships that could shape their future careers. Through programs like Hire Rochester, Wren hopes all URochester students can access internship opportunities regardless of financial circumstances.

Meet the 2026 Hire Rochester Summer Interns

Here糖心传媒檚 what this summer糖心传媒檚 inaugural cohort of Hire Rochester Summer Interns learned on the job.

One outfit that says, 糖心传媒淵es, I own something besides a hoodie糖心传媒�

Most days on campus skew casual. But sooner or later there will be a reason to look like you own an iron: a research presentation, a concert or recital, or an interview for one of URochester糖心传媒檚 internship opportunities.

That糖心传媒檚 why , responding to an incoming student asking what to bring to URochester, offered one addition that hadn糖心传媒檛 appeared on most other lists: a nice outfit. Students may wear casual clothes to class every day, the user noted, but 糖心传媒渢here will sometimes be an event where you have to dress up nice. So just bring one.糖心传媒�

You may need it sooner than you think: Eastman糖心传媒檚 New Student Semi-Formal Dance traditionally lands during Welcome Week, and events such as the annual Boar糖心传媒檚 Head Dinner in December give River Campus students a reason to dress up, too.

A shower caddy糖心传媒攁nd its best friend, the drying mat

For many first-year students, college introduces a new daily routine: gathering everything needed for a shower and carrying it down a hallway.

Shower shoes or slippers are high on the list for Kaycee Viator, a Residential Life area coordinator. Add a caddy for toiletries, and the trip to and from a communal bathroom becomes much simpler. A mesh caddy has another advantage: It dries quickly.

糖心传媒淭he drying mat is an underrated essential.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭he shower caddy definitely saved me in my freshman year when I had to use the communal bathroom,糖心传媒� says Maliki Hawkins 糖心传媒�27. 糖心传媒淚t was so easy to carry soaps and other toiletries with the caddy when I had to walk farther to the actual shower. Instead of having to take multiple trips to carry things, I was able to do it in one.糖心传媒�

Then there糖心传媒檚 the question of where a wet towel and dripping caddy go once you糖心传媒檙e back in the room. Adelyne 糖心传媒淎ddie糖心传媒� Jareo 糖心传媒�27, a resident advisor in a first-year residence hall, recommends a drying mat for underneath. 糖心传媒淭he drying mat is an underrated essential,糖心传媒� she says.

A Twin XL mattress topper for a touch of comfort

Most residence hall mattresses are Twin XL, so make sure your bedding is, too. For students who prefer a softer or more cushioned bed, a mattress topper can make a standard-issue mattress feel a little more luxurious after a busy day.

Noise-canceling headphones糖心传媒攂ecause your roommate keeps different hours

When your bedroom is also your study space糖心传媒攏ot to mention someone else糖心传媒檚 bedroom糖心传媒攖he ability to create a little quiet can be surprisingly valuable. Noise-canceling headphones can help with studying; for sleeping, a small white-noise machine can help mask hallway conversations, closing doors, or a roommate on a different schedule.

A passport糖心传媒擳oronto is closer than you think

A passport isn糖心传媒檛 on most dorm packing lists. At URochester, there糖心传媒檚 a good argument for bringing one: Canada is close enough to make Toronto or the Canadian side of Niagara Falls a tempting road-trip destination.

Keep in mind this important distinction: A standard REAL ID is not, by itself, a border-crossing document. For US citizens traveling by land, acceptable documents can include a US passport, passport card, Enhanced Driver糖心传媒檚 License, or certain trusted-traveler cards. Whatever document you bring, keep it stored securely in your room.

p.s. Our alumni offer plenty of picks for the perfect long weekend in the T.O.

A basic sewing kit糖心传媒攆or the unexpected snag

This is the kind of item that sits in a drawer for two months and then earns its keep in about four minutes. 糖心传媒淓ven if you don糖心传媒檛 know how to sew, you糖心传媒檒l be grateful it糖心传媒檚 there when you nick your favorite pants or sweater on a corner in November,糖心传媒� says Jackson Wimpsett 糖心传媒�29.

A basic kit with needles, a few colors of thread, safety pins, and spare buttons takes up less space than a deck of cards.

糖心传媒淓ven if you don糖心传媒檛 know how to sew, you糖心传媒檒l be grateful it糖心传媒檚 there when you nick your favorite pants or sweater on a corner in November.糖心传媒�

A rubber shoe mat糖心传媒攆or the Rochester winter you糖心传媒檒l track inside

Rochester winters arrive indoors too, tracked in on the soles of everyone糖心传媒檚 boots. Wimpsett recommends putting a rubber shoe mat in the room before winter arrives. 糖心传媒淵ou don糖心传媒檛 realize the space wet shoes take up until they糖心传媒檙e inside,糖心传媒� he says.

A mat by the door gives boots a designated spot to drip and keeps meltwater off your rug.

A hammock or picnic blanket糖心传媒攖o join your squad on the quad

When campus turns brilliant in fall or blooms in spring, you糖心传媒檒l want to soak up every glorious minute. Jareo recommends bringing a hammock or picnic blanket for listening to the Rush Rhees carillon, studying al fresco, grabbing a power nap, or simply claiming a patch of grass with friends.

Pro tip: You can always sign out a hammock from the Campus Information Center at Wilson Commons.

A laundry bag you can actually carry

Every URochester residence hall has laundry facilities. The bigger question is how you糖心传媒檙e going to get your clothes there. A sturdy or mesh laundry bag can be easier to carry than a basket, especially if the laundry room is on another floor. And don糖心传媒檛 forget detergent.

A long charging cable糖心传媒攜ou don糖心传媒檛 know where the outlets are yet

You don糖心传媒檛 yet know where the outlets will be in your residence hall room糖心传媒攐r where your bed and desk will end up once you and your roommate start arranging things. A long phone or USB charging cable gives you flexibility.

Just remember that a long charging cable is different from an extension cord. Before bringing electrical equipment, check the current Residential Life packing and fire-safety guidelines; electronics and appliances used in residence halls must meet University safety requirements.

The Rochester weather survival kit

August-you and February-you may have very different opinions about Rochester weather.

For the warmer weeks at the beginning of the academic year, Viator recommends a compact oscillating fan. Come winter, she recommends a thick coat, hat, and gloves糖心传媒斕切拇綔especially relevant for our city depending on how nice Mother Nature wants to be to us,糖心传媒� she jokes.

And don糖心传媒檛 underestimate the gloves. Before coming to Rochester, Chloe Yokitis 糖心传媒�28 says, she had never been 糖心传媒渁 gloves person.糖心传媒� URochester changed her mind. 糖心传媒淚 brought my gloves to Rochester, and I糖心传媒檓 so glad I did,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭hey kept me so cozy and really worked wonders against the wind and snow.糖心传媒�

One more small-weather essential: a compact umbrella that actually fits in your backpack or tote. Rochester can serve up a sunny morning, drizzly afternoon, and chilly evening in a single day.

Pro tip: While you acclimate to Rochester winters, take advantage of the River Campus tunnel system under Eastman Quad.

Something that reminds you of home

Not everything on a college packing list needs to solve a logistical problem. Bring the framed photo that has always had pride of place on your dresser. The stuffed animal you糖心传媒檝e had since childhood. A favorite T-shirt or blanket. The tea you can only get at home. Even a simple sticker that you can affix to your laptop.

You don糖心传媒檛 need to recreate your childhood bedroom. One or two meaningful objects can go a long way toward making an unfamiliar space begin to feel like your room.

And finally: Don糖心传媒檛 bring everything

Residence hall rooms are smaller than you think. Your roommate is bringing things, too. And plenty can be borrowed or purchased after move-in, once you know what you actually need and use.

Bring the essentials. Bring a few things you love. And leave yourself some room to figure out the rest once URochester starts feeling like home.

Construction will begin in the first week of August on a new Student Life building designed to strengthen and support Student Life programming and establish a new home for the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life. The two-story, 15,000-square-foot building on Intercampus Drive, next to Library Lot, will add new gathering, rehearsal, and programmatic space on the River Campus for all students. The second level will be the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life, a new home for Hillel at the University. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

Though planning for this building was publicly announced in fall 2024, the effort behind it stretches back more than a decade, with fundraising underway for many years. Like the new Joseph P. Mack Catholic Center, the project addresses longstanding space constraints at the University糖心传媒檚 Interfaith Chapel. Built in 1970 to serve roughly 4,000 undergraduates and three religious traditions, the chapel today supports 14 religious-affiliated student groups and demand for space has outgrown what it can provide.

Together, the addition of this new Student Life building, along with the interior renovations underway at Interfaith Chapel, will have a positive and meaningful impact on the student experience, in alignment with the University糖心传媒檚 .

糖心传媒淭his building reflects who we are as a University, a place where every student can find belonging, connection, and space to grow, no matter their background or beliefs,糖心传媒� says URochester听President Sarah Mangelsdorf. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a meaningful step forward for Student Life at Rochester.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淲e are proud to present a new space with the future of campus at the heart of the design where the entire URochester community is welcomed to connect, engage, and thrive in what is being conceptualized as an academic, social, and event oasis on campus,糖心传媒� says Vice President for Student Life John Blackshear.

The ground floor糖心传媒檚 design is flexible to meet students糖心传媒� various needs. An open lobby will provide a comfortable place to study or gather informally, while a ballroom that can be split into two sections can also host smaller events and offer dedicated rehearsal space for the University糖心传媒檚 dance and other performance organizations. Because performance groups and other student organizations have often had to share the same limited practice areas, this new rehearsal space is hoping to ease scheduling pressures.

A main-level conference room and an upper-level outdoor patio round out the spaces, adding still more room for meetings, programming, and gatherings throughout the year. Included in the building design is an elevated sidewalk lined with planters and benches, which will run along the UHS Building to connect the Student Life building to Susan B. Anthony Circle. A lower patio with picnic tables, ground cover, and mature trees will be located between the two buildings. An upper terrace will be lined with shrubs and flowering perennials, and new, mature trees will be planted around the site.

A new home for Jewish life on the River Campus

Construction of the Greenbaum Center traces back to lead gifts from University Trustee David Greenbaum 糖心传媒�73 and his wife, Laureine, who pledged in total $3.5 million with the vision of the Center being a resource for Hillel programming and the broader student community.

糖心传媒淲e are honored to help create a beautiful new campus space where Jewish students at URochester can deepen their identity and feel a true sense of belonging,糖心传媒� says David Greenbaum. 糖心传媒淲e are excited to see this vision become a reality and we hope the new Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life will serve generations of Hillel students as a vibrant home for spiritual life, learning, and community.糖心传媒�

The Greenbaum Center will play an important role in enhancing the residential life of the Jewish community on campus and can also serve as a resource to the entire Rochester area Jewish community.

Looking ahead

As construction begins in August, the most immediate and visible impact will be on parking. Roughly half of the Library Lot will be used for construction staging through summer 2027. Existing Library Lot permit holders will retain their permit access throughout construction and are expected to experience minimal disruption.

The Student Life portion of the building is being funded by the University as an investment in the student experience. The Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life is funded through donor funds. To learn about supporting the project, visit the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life donor page.

A ceremonial groundbreaking is planned for October 1, 2026, during Meliora Weekend. The architecture and design firm, CetraRuddy, envisions the building as a place where architecture reinforces community, creating welcoming spaces that encourage connection and belonging, while supporting student well-being.

For updates as construction progresses, visit the University糖心传媒檚 Capital Projects Construction page. View the project’s FAQ here.

More than 10,000 people are expected to gather across 糖心传媒 campuses for Meliora Weekend, URochester糖心传媒檚 signature celebration combining reunion, homecoming, and family weekend, October 1糖心传媒�4. With nearly 300 events over four days, the weekend offers something for everyone糖心传媒攆rom thought-provoking lectures and performances to Yellowjacket athletics, family activities, and opportunities to reconnect and make new memories.

Headliners include PBS听News Hour听co-anchor Amna Nawaz; New York Times听bestselling author and听journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin; actor, author, humorist, and woodworker Nick Offerman; and Grammy Award-winning contemporary chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound, which was founded at Eastman School of Music 25 years ago.

糖心传媒淭he Rochester experience has always been built on curiosity and a commitment to excellence,糖心传媒� says Tom Farrell 糖心传媒�88, 糖心传媒�90W (MS), senior vice president for University Advancement. 糖心传媒淢eliora Weekend brings those values to life by welcoming our community back together to learn, to celebrate the University community, have fun, and to reconnect with former classmates and friends.糖心传媒�

Guests can also look forward to the return of the Meliora Village, the heart of the weekend糖心传媒檚 festivities, on River Campus Friday through Saturday, and the Eastman School of Music block party on Gibbs Street on Friday. Featuring local food and craft beverages, games, student performances, and family-friendly activities, both spots offer something for every generation. This year糖心传媒檚 Village experience will be energized by a live performance from Rochester糖心传媒檚 Fleetwood Mac tribute band The Seven Wonders.

Research and academic lectures, along with open houses, will take place across all campuses all weekend, with School of Medicine & Dentistry and School of Nursing academic programming predominantly taking place on Friday. Additionally, admission costs are waived at the Memorial Art Gallery throughout the weekend.

Meet the Meliora Weekend 2026 headliners

Amna Nawaz

is an Emmy, Peabody, and Cronkite award-winning journalist who currently serves as co-anchor and co-managing editor of the PBS News Hour. Her reporting ranges from politics and foreign affairs to immigration and education, to culture and sports. She has anchored the show from the US southern border, Israel after the October 7 attacks, and Kyiv, Ukraine, during its war with Russia. Nawaz has interviewed presidents and heads of state, White House officials and lawmakers, professional athletes and musicians, and citizens around the world in the communities they call home.

Nawaz is a passionate advocate for trust in the media and offers a compelling look at the state of truth, credibility, and journalism in today糖心传媒檚 rapidly evolving information landscape. Drawing on her extensive experience reporting on stories across the country and around the world, Nawaz explores the rise of misinformation and disinformation, the challenges they present for society, and their impact on politics, business, and public discourse. She offers thoughtful insights into the forces shaping today糖心传媒檚 information environment and the enduring value of trust and credibility in public life.

Andrew Ross Sorkin

is an award-winning journalist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of Squawk Box, CNBC糖心传媒檚 signature morning program. He is also the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, an online daily financial report published by The New York Times that he started in 2001.

In this engaging presentation, Sorkin takes the audience behind the scenes of his deeply researched book 1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History糖心传媒揳nd How It Shattered a Nation. Drawing on years of archival material, forgotten diaries, and private correspondence, Sorkin shares how he reconstructed the personalities and events behind the rise and collapse of an era, offering a fascinating look at the craft of narrative nonfiction and the process of bringing one of the most consequential periods in American history to life.

Sorkin also explores why the lessons of 1929 remain so relevant today. Connecting themes from the book to the intersection of economics, politics, and public sentiment, he examines how financial forces continue to shape elections, policy debates, and global competition. Blending historical storytelling with contemporary insight, Sorkin offers a compelling perspective on how the past can help us better understand the challenges of the present.

A book signing with Sorkin will follow the event from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Nick Offerman

is an actor, author, humorist, and woodworker whose credits include the Emmy Award-winning role of Bill in听The Last of Us听(HBO), Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation (NBC), and Jinx in Margo糖心传媒檚 Got Money Troubles听(Apple).听His latest book is听Little Woodchucks:听Offerman Woodshop糖心传媒檚 Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery.

Alarm Will Sound

Founded at Eastman School of Music 25 years ago, contemporary chamber ensemble returns to Rochester for Meliora Weekend to celebrate with a new award in hand and a new program on offer. The winners of the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble present New Acoustica, an innovative program featuring live performances of complex electronica on acoustic instruments.

糖心传媒淲颈迟丑 New Acoustica, we present the music of Aphex Twin, Jlin, King Britt, Marcos Balter, SOPHIE, Tim Exile, Lucrecia Dalt, and more, bringing the work of these outstanding and groundbreaking artists to you in a way that you糖心传媒檝e never heard before.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒� Alarm Will Sound

Alarm Will Sound糖心传媒檚 visit is generously supported by the Elizabeth Ward Chicares 糖心传媒�86 Distinguished Visiting Artist Program.

This program is part of the Eastman Presents Kodak Series and Eastman Explores America and features Eastman alumni.

Jackie Hsiao 糖心传媒�27 took a stab at fencing during a summer camp before she entered eighth grade. She hated it. 糖心传媒淚t was hot and sweaty, and I didn糖心传媒檛 know what I was doing,糖心传媒� the Milford, Connecticut, native says. 糖心传媒淎ll the kids were beating me.糖心传媒�

Reluctantly, she stuck with the sport when school started that fall. Her older brother, Timothy, was on the school team, so Jackie joined to make car pickup easier for her parents. 糖心传媒淭he environment was so much better than at camp,糖心传媒� she recalls. 糖心传媒淭he team became my family, and I fell in love with the sport.糖心传媒�

Fencing is a combat sport featuring sword fighting, where competitors try to score points by landing their sword on the opponent糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒渢arget area.糖心传媒� It requires patience, balance, mental toughness, and physical stamina.

Hsiao (pronounced like the first syllable of 糖心传媒渟hower糖心传媒�) says her skills improved greatly thanks to the coaches at Hopkins School, a college preparatory school in New Haven, Connecticut, and a personal coach. She improved so much that this past February, she was invited to compete at the in Charlotte, North Carolina. While she didn糖心传媒檛 approach the winner糖心传媒檚 circle, it was a major accomplishment for someone whose sporting career was nearly derailed toward the end of her senior year of high school.

Hsiao was leading her opponent by one point in the waning seconds of a state championship match, and the opponent was desperate. 糖心传媒淗er coach told her to charge at me, and I tried to back up defensively,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 planted my right knee at the wrong angle and tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).糖心传媒�

Hsiao won the match but lost nearly a year of competitive fencing. By the time she was cleared to compete, she was a first-year student at URochester, where she majors in anthropology and takes vocal lessons at Eastman. She joined the , attended practices, and eventually competed for the team. Last spring, Hsiao was elected club president and led a full men糖心传媒檚 and women糖心传媒檚 team to the in State College, Pennsylvania糖心传媒攁 first for the organization.

Hsiao is a student of the game. Her mother records all of her matches so that she can watch them and learn from her mistakes. She糖心传媒檚 interested in a career in medical law and believes fencing offers life lessons that have prepared her for the arduous journey ahead. 糖心传媒淚n fencing, you糖心传媒檝e got to be ready for anything, because every opponent has a different style and mentality.糖心传媒�

While at the Junior Olympics, she met two fencing idols: three-time Olympic women糖心传媒檚 foil gold medalist and college All-American of Princeton University. This summer, Hsiao competed at the in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Again, she didn糖心传媒檛 chase gold, but the experience whetted her appetite for the future.

糖心传媒淧ersistence is the key, and losing is one of the best ways to learn,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淢y goal is to earn a rating from the . To do that, I糖心传媒檒l need to achieve victories in their competitions. I糖心传媒檝e set my mind to it.糖心传媒� Allez!

This story appears in the fall 2025 issue of Rochester Review, the magazine of the 糖心传媒.