Melissa Babb-Renta had visited Cleveland only once until this past summer. Now the Colgate University graduate says she’s growing roots here.
A Chicago native, Babb-Renta spent 10 weeks living on the Case Western Reserve University campus during her
Summer on the Cuyahoga internship, a paid immersion program that introduces college students and recent grads to Cleveland’s professional and social opportunities.
Babb-Renta worked at
Cleveland Leadership Center researching new approaches to its high school leadership program, and she taught economics at University School’s REACH summer program for promising African-American middle school students. While contributing to the community, Babb-Renta also learned about herself.
“It impacted me professionally but not just to find a job and be able to be paid,” she says. “It helped me develop what I want to accomplish in life. … Ultimately, I found out that I need a job that helps me fulfill others.”
What began as a Yale initiative now recruits kids from CWRU, Colgate, Cornell, Smith College and the University of Chicago. And with 75 percent of student interns not originally from Northeast Ohio, Summer on the Cuyahoga works to combat poor perceptions of the city by showcasing its professional, civic and personal offerings, says executive director Bernie Gosky.
Gosky sets up events and meetings focusing on specific attributes of the city such as career building or housing. Mark Shapiro of the Cleveland Indians spoke about opportunities in sports management. KeyCorp CEO Henry Meyer III discussed finance in Cleveland.
The program also surveys participants before they arrive and at the end of summer. “The numbers are compelling,” says Gosky. For example, only 22 percent of 2010 interns thought professional opportunities in Cleveland were good before arriving, while 76 percent felt that way after their stay.
Additionally, every one of the 2010 interns said they would recommend Cleveland to their peers as a post-graduation destination.
“Since 2003 we’ve had over 60 students who have settled here,” Gosky says. “It’s just great to have young people downtown creating energy.”
Babb-Renta is now employed as an analyst with Chelko Consulting Group in Westlake as a result of the network her internship helped her to build.
“I feel like I could achieve more here than if I went straight back to Chicago,” she says.