{"id":9301,"date":"2026-01-15T16:31:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9301"},"modified":"2026-02-25T07:44:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:44:42","slug":"internships-for-students-real-work-real-experience-real-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9301","title":{"rendered":"Internships for Students: Real Work, Real Experience, Real Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_9899\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9301-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Podcast Summary:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This Blind Abilities episode shines a spotlight on internships for blind and low-vision students\u2014and why starting early can open real doors. Tou Yang and Randi Lasher from State Services for the Blind of Minnesota (SSB), break down how high school and college students can access paid and unpaid internships that build skills, confidence, and career momentum. Listeners learn what internships really are, why they matter beyond just a paycheck, and how they connect classroom learning to real-world experience. The conversation highlights how SSB helps students explore careers, prepare for post-secondary education, advocate for themselves, and find meaningful internship opportunities across Minnesota. From local city programs to statewide options in technology, healthcare, STEM, public service, and more, this episode makes one thing clear: opportunities exist\u2014but timing matters. Whether you\u2019re planning for summer, next year, or your future career path, this episode gives students practical guidance, resources, and motivation to take action and get ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Links to Internship Opportunities mentioned in this episode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joinhandshake.com\/blog\/students\/summer-internships-for-college-students\/\">Handshake\u00a0\u00a0&#8211; Summer Internships for College Students<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.minneapolismn.gov\/government\/programs-initiatives\/step-up\/interns\/\">Step Up &#8211; Kick Start Your Career with Step Up<\/a>\u00a0(Minneapolis)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stpaul.gov\/departments\/parks-and-recreation\/right-track\/youth\">Right Start &#8211; Youth Jobs Internships<\/a>\u00a0(St. Paul)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/genesysworks.org\/\">Genisis Works &#8211; Where Tomorrow&#8217;s Work Force Begins<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.minneapolismn.gov\/government\/programs-initiatives\/urban-scholars\/#site-main\">Urban Scholars &#8211; Internships and Training<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/healthforceminnesota.org\/students\/scrubscamp.html\">Scrubs Camp &#8211; Medical Careers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dot.state.mn.us\/careers\/seeds.html\">Seeds Student Worker Program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dot.state.mn.us\/careers\/phoenix.html\">Phoenix Student Worker Program<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; Science, Technology, engineering or Mathematics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/mmb\/careers\/search-for-jobs\/interns-and-student-workers\/\">State of Minnesota Careers Interns and Student Workers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynk.works\/internships\">BrookLynk- Summer Student Internship Program<\/a>\u00a0(Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/treetrust.org\/non-profit\/career-pathways\/summer-youth-employment-program\/\">Tree Trust<\/a>\u00a0Summer Students Internships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threeriversparksfdn.org\/pathways\">Three Rivers Park Internship Program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandlab.org\/\">The Brand lab<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; Marketing and Graphic Design Program<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnhs.org\/internships\">the Minnesota Historical Society<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; Work in a Museum!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/deed\/ssb\/teens\/events.jsp\">SSB Youth Services Work Based Learning and Work Readiness opportunities<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/careerforce.mn.gov\/locations\">Career Force Locations in Minnesota<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:shane.desantis@state.mn.us\">shane.desantis@state.mn.us<\/a>&nbsp;or call Shane at&nbsp;651-385-5205.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9298\">Full Transcript<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thanks for listening!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_9901\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9301-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/Internships2026.mp3 Podcast Summary: This Blind Abilities episode shines a spotlight on internships for blind and low-vision students\u2014and why starting early can open real doors. Tou Yang and Randi Lasher from State Services for the Blind of Minnesota (SSB), break down how high school and college students can access paid and unpaid internships that build skills, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,373,263,559],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-career","category-college","category-ssb"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-2q1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9411,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9411","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":0},"title":"From Classroom to Career \u2014 Josh Subhan&#8217;s Internship Journey","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 24, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Josh Subhan shares a real-world look at how internships can open doors from college to career.\u00a0As a University of Minnesota grad who is turning his internship at Metro Transit into a full-time job, Josh breaks down what internships are, when to start applying, and how the process actually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8320,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8320","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":1},"title":"Internships are Making a Difference for These Four College Students, Joshua, Qi, Jackson, and Josh, During Their Transition from High School to College and the Workplace","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Podcast Summary: In this focus on student Internships, State Services for the Blind's Transition Work Opportunities Navigator, Randi Lasher, gives us an overview of student internships and how SSB works with the students to assist them in achieving their career goals. Listen in as Joshua, Qi, Jackson, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8631,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8631","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":2},"title":"Student Readiness: Navigating College with Confidence: Tips for Students with Vision Loss","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson speaks with three professionals from State Services for the Blind (SSB)\u2014Kate Larson, Randi Lasher, and Shane DeSantis\u2014who support students with vision loss as they prepare for life after high school. They share helpful tips about applying for college, getting financial\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8660,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8660","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":3},"title":"Building Your Path: Summer Jobs, Resumes, and Real-World Skills with State Services for the Blind","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Meet Tou Yang, a Transition Work Opportunities Navigator at State Services for the Blind! Tou helps students explore career options, build resumes, prepare for interviews, and find summer jobs, internships, or volunteer experiences. Learn how tools like Career Index Plus make it easier to research careers and job\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8417,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8417","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":4},"title":"Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey: Passion, Community, and Opportunities on the Ice and announcing a Career Networking Event for Blind Students","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Podcast Summary: In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson speaks with Brady and Nick from the\u00a0Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey\u00a0Team. Brady, a player entering his fourth year, shares his journey into blind hockey, starting from his love of regular hockey and joining the\u00a0Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey\u00a0team in 2021.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9496,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9496","url_meta":{"origin":9301,"position":5},"title":"From Possibility to Pathway: Building Futures Through Pre-ETS","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 18, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Across the country, students who are blind, deafBlind, or low vision are asking big questions about their future\u2014and in Minnesota, those questions are turning into real opportunities. In this episode of Blind Abilities, we explore how Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through State Services for the Blind are helping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9302,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9301\/revisions\/9302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}