InternGF sets students up for success
As 2025 Closing Ceremony shows, participants network, explore region’s culture and imagine future for themselves in Greater Grand Forks
Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Service core value calls on the University to “address the health, educational, safety, cultural, economic, and workforce needs of our community, state and region via research and educational collaborations.” This story reports on a collaboration of long standing that’s meant to help not only UND students, but also the community that for four years, they call home.
This story originally appeared in UND Today on Aug. 21.
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By Haylee Bjork
The laughter, applause and heartfelt reflections that accompanied the InternGF Celebration on Aug. 7 spoke of a summer well spent.
As part of the 2025 InternGF Summer Cohort series, 29 college students from across the region not only had learned more about the Greater Grand Forks area, but also had made the most of professional internships over the past three months. The InternGF program connects student interns with the people, places and opportunities that make the area a vibrant place to live, work and build a future.
Hosted by UND’s Center for Innovation and the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with UND’s Experiential Learning Center and supported by the Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, InternGF immerses interns in a six-session series highlighting the community’s industries, culture, recreation and volunteer opportunities.
Shifting perceptions, building belonging
The InternGF Celebration, which was held at the Opal Events Center inside the Olive Ann Hotel in Grand Forks, was a closing ceremony designed to celebrate the students’ experiences. At the event, program leaders Amanda Voigt and Becca Cruger opened the evening by sharing the “why” behind the program: refuting the common notion among students that there’s “nothing to do” in Grand Forks.
Data from surveys taken before and after the program show the effort is working. Students reported:
- A 14-point increase in agreeing that there’s plenty to do in Grand Forks.
- A nearly 20% jump in feeling more confident about getting involved in the community.
- A 24-point rise in believing they can make a local impact.
Most important, more students now see Grand Forks as a place where they could envision themselves after graduation.
Student stories, shared impact
Throughout the evening, six student speakers — Nneka Nwaokeafor, Alexandra Johnson, Femi Oni, Kaleb Wintermute, Parker Martinson and Kaitlyn Hepper — shared personal takeaways from the summer.
From exploring downtown businesses and meeting local entrepreneurs, volunteering at nonprofits, touring major employers, sampling fitness and recreation options and diving into the local arts scene, the experiences were as varied as they were transformative, the students said.
“Success is rarely solo, it’s stitched together by the people around you,” Nwaokeafor reflected. Hepper shared the same view, noting that the program pushed her outside her comfort zone and taught her the value of saying “yes” to new opportunities.
Celebrating the cohort
At the celebration, those participants who’d attended at least five of the summer’s sessions were recognized, with each receiving custom artwork from local artist Senta Lauren. In addition, participants received notes of appreciation written by their peers, underscoring the network of support the cohort built.
The friendly summer-long competition for “Team Points” ended with Team Yellow claiming victory after racking up 326 points through community explorations like farmers markets, local events and neighborhood adventures.
Looking ahead
While the 2025 program may have ended, organizers plan to follow up with this summer’s participants annually for the next five years to track the program’s long-term impact on talent retention in the region.
As Cruger noted, “Programs like these take time to measure, but the connections and confidence these students gained this summer are already making a difference.”
About the author
Haylee Bjork is marketing outreach coordinator for the Center for Innovation at UND.
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