October 13, 2025
Real-World Learning Through Internships
Randolph Students Gain Real-World Experience Through Expanding Paid Internship Program
For the past three years, Randolph School students have gained invaluable hands-on experience through a growing network of paid summer internships in biotech, technology, and engineering. The program began as a passion project by Andrea Logan and Lisa Devine, then with Dynetics (now Leidos), exploring how such internships could be mutually beneficial for both students and the company. Mrs. Logan notes that the program “couldn’t have happened without Lisa Devine’s help on the corporate side.”
Matching Students to Opportunities
Each summer, a pool of student candidates applies through Mrs. Logan, and the science department serves as a committee to vet applicants, selecting students not only on academic achievement but also on lab skills, collaborative mindset, and overall fit.
These names are then passed to the partner companies, who trust Mrs. Logan to place the best match. This approach lightens the load on corporate HR while ensuring students are positioned to thrive.
Lisa Hammitt has helped expand the program by connecting Randolph with Auterion, creating additional paid internship opportunities for students. The internships are paid to ensure that students who need to work over the summer are not excluded, making the program accessible to a wider range of participants. Scheduling the internships during the summer also allows students to focus on their academic work during the school year while gaining valuable real-world experience.
Since the program’s inception, nine students have participated in paid summer internships, one of whom has transitioned to a full-time position at Leidos. The program continues to expand, now including companies such as Amazon Web Services and, this upcoming summer, Polaris. Randolph has also launched a teaching internship, with rising college student Taylor Tessman gaining hands-on experience in education.
Students have achieved notable outcomes across all placements.
At HudsonAlpha, an intern contributed to published research on inserting DNA into bacterial cells. At Leidos, students developed graphical web interfaces and rapid image segmentation tools. Auterion interns have designed, built, and mass-produced drones, modeled missile launches, and tested new systems, while Amazon Web Services interns helped identify new datasets for NASA applications.
Beyond technical accomplishments, the program develops the whole student. Interns gain real-world experience translating classroom knowledge into practical skills, working alongside professionals in office settings or managing projects independently through remote work. They learn discipline, independence, and collaboration, while building connections that continue to guide them in academics and future careers.
Head of School Adam Dubé shared, “These partnerships are an extension of our mission to prepare students for lives of purpose. As this program grows, it creates new ways for Randolph students to connect their academic strengths with professional experiences that will shape them long after graduation.”
With its expansion, Randolph’s paid summer internship program continues to provide students with hands-on experience, professional exposure, and a foundation for success after graduation.