South Bend Times

Next year marks the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department's extensive Fighting Irish internship program's 20th anniversary of offering internship throughout the department, according to information on the program's website.

The internship program, which started in 2001, classifies its intern as full-time employees in areas such as equipment, the Fighting Irish media, football operations, marketing and ticketing, according to information on the athletic department's website.

"The Fighting Irish internship program attracts individuals who have a strong commitment to excellence, desire to contribute to the student-athlete experience and are intensely curious about the business of college athletics," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says on the internship program's website. "Our program aims to attract the best and then put them in a position to achieve professional success in whatever field they choose."

University of Notre Dame Athletics Department Director Jack Swarbrick | nd.edu

The internship program is one of many that student-athletes find at Notre Dame.

One Notre Dame graduate who credits her internships for forming the foundation for her success in life is Jennifer Sharron Richardson, a former Notre Dame softball player. She is currently co-executive producer on the award-winning late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

“Notre Dame offered me an amazing foundation of faith and values that helped to steer me in a direction of what was important in my life,” Richardson said in a university news story published in March 2019.

Richardson worked through a series of internships, including editing in a post-production house during her sophomore year and with a literary agent the following summer and then at Golden Dome Productions during junior year. These internships helped her find success later on, Richardson said in the news story.

"When you go to Notre Dame, you feel like you’re set up for success," Richardson said in the news story. "What I found to be most important about Notre Dame was that you didn’t feel like you were on your own, fighting for your own direction. There were people rooting for you and helping you find your way."

The Fighting Irish intern program offers internships as part of professional development, including monthly development sessions with guest speakers, educational sessions and self-awareness assessments. There are also mock interviews, special projects and volunteer opportunities.

Interns in the Fighting Irish program are paid $8.65 an hour, plus overtime at time-and-a-half and university benefits.

Applications for the internship programs begins about mid-April and runs through the end of May.