The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) recently celebrated the Top 50 Interns in Virginia, recognizing standout students who are making a difference for their employers while impacting the workplace of today and the workforce of tomorrow.

“Work-based learning is increasingly critical to postgraduate career success,” said Matt Cowley, associate vice provost, Career and Professional Development, “and Virginia Tech prides itself on producing top-tier talent across a wide range of industries. I am excited to see our students honored in this way because it means employers recognize the value our students bring."

Selected from a competitive pool of 121 nominees who worked at Virginia-based organizations, these interns distinguished themselves through initiative, leadership, and results.

The 11 Virginia Tech students, their majors, and where they interned are:

  • Elijah Thomas Barr, civil engineering in the College of Engineering, Van Metre Companies
  • Ashlynn Elizabeth Bennett, clinical neuroscience in the College of Science, Virginia Department of Health
  • Stella Bryant, biological systems engineering in the College of Engineering, City of Roanoke
  • Kerry Elizabeth Cotter, industrial systems engineering in the College of Engineering, Center for Engineering Excellence and Discovery
  • Lauren Delapaz Durbin, marketing management in the Pamplin College of Business, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
  • Myla Gao, management and consulting analytics in the Pamplin College of Business, Career and Professional Development
  • Christina Phuong Nguyen, cybersecurity management and analytics in the Pamplin College of Business, CGI
  • Aiden Robert Stack, cybersecurity management and analytics, Triple Point Security
  • Mark Stanfield, cybersecurity management and analytics, Triple Point Security
  • Reiss Triantis, cybersecurity management and analytics, Triple Point Security
  • Caroline Wood, public health in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Department of Health

Wood also won the Culture Award for an intern who made the team feel seen, supported, and excited to show up every day.

SCHEV will recognize these interns July 30 in Richmond during Virginia Intern Day, the annual celebration of student-interns, employers, and higher education partners advancing work-based learning. The award framework is modeled after national internship recognition efforts led by WayUp.

Internships are a key component of many degree programs and an important part of Virginia Tech Advantage, the university’s commitment to ensuring all students have access to a full educational experience regardless of financial need.  

Internships can also fulfill requirements for the Bridge Experience Program, which connects classroom learning to real-world professional environments through internships, study abroad, undergraduate research, or service learning. For many majors, completing a bridge experience is required for graduation as part of Virginia Tech’s commitment to experiential learning. More information is available at Career and Professional Development.

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