UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sabrina Knox, a third-year Penn State student majoring in philosophy and English and pursuing a master of international affairs degree through the integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) program completed a highly coveted summer internship with Westinghouse Nuclear in Pittsburgh that allowed her to explore career paths in nuclear and the energy sector while gaining valuable skills.

Knox’s experience was made possible with support from the Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program in the College of the Liberal Arts, which provides $5,000 to students completing top-level career development opportunities in the private sector.

“I was referred to the Chapel Executive Internship Program by the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network as they knew I was doing a business internship,” Knox said. “I was contacted from there that I had received the funding, and I was incredibly grateful. It truly made an impact during my internship experience.”

The Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar served as a global communications intern for Westinghouse Nuclear this past summer. Knox knew she wanted to work for a global company with strong international connections as she would begin taking classes for her master of international affairs degree in the fall.

“I was introduced to Westinghouse through a Penn State connection and was immediately drawn to the company’s global presence and dedication to innovation,” Knox said. “I’m very interested in an international career, so the global aspect of Westinghouse excited me. It’s also an exciting time for the nuclear energy industry across the globe and Westinghouse inspired me to dive into learning about the nuclear space.”

During her internship, Knox worked with the communications team, composed of members located across the globe. Among the projects she worked on was creating the company-wide messaging for the Westinghouse All-Employee Meeting. She especially enjoyed working with the communications team to write and edit messaging to communicate important technical achievements and news across the company.

“This internship taught me to take technical writing regarding nuclear technology and innovation achievements and transform the information into messaging that is understandable for a wide variety of people,” Knox said. “It’s a skill that I will undoubtedly continue to use in my future career.”

Throughout the summer, Knox developed a passion for the energy industry, especially the development of nuclear technology and the role it will play in the future of the global energy landscape. She has decided to pursue an energy policy concentration as part of her Master of International Affairs degree and hopes to continue working in the industry after graduation.

Knox said one of her favorite parts of the internship was getting to attend the U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference in Pittsburgh. She explained that since she had never worked in a STEM field before, it was a unique opportunity to meet other professionals and learn about the different opportunities within the field.

Knox said she is incredibly thankful for the Chapel Executive Internship Program and the opportunities it provides to students who want to explore a career path in the private sector.

“I just want to express my gratitude to the Chapels for this generous endowment and for supporting all of these Liberal Arts students who are achieving their goals and going above and beyond to earn private sector internships,” Knox said. “It makes us feel valued because our well-rounded interests and achievements are being seen and appreciated — it’s really wonderful.”

This is one in a series of stories about 28 Liberal Arts students who are participating in Chapel Executive Internships this summer. Students interested in applying for a Chapel Executive Internship for spring should apply by the Dec. 1 deadline through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network.