The UT System Internship (UTSI) and Law Clerkship (LC) is a paid 10-week summer program that offers students project-based work experience, professional development opportunities, and mentoring, managed by the Office of Talent & Innovation. It aims to contribute to UT student career development by providing field-relevant, hands-on experience; developing students’ collaboration skills; and providing a safe environment for professional growth.
The program stemmed from a desire for deeper and more direct connection to the student population the UT institutions serve. Beginning online in the summer of 2020, the first UTSI program hosted only 16 interns. Since then, the internship has grown to include law clerks and implement in-person programming. The UTSI program has supported a total of 205 young professionals over the past 6 years.
This year saw 56 interns and 4 law clerks walk through the doors of the UT System building. Bright-eyed, nervous young students tentatively warmed up to each other during the program’s first in-person orientation in June, only to end the internship at July’s Intern and Law Clerk Summit with assured smiles and strong voices.
Throughout the summer, interns executed projects in information security, data analytics, digital communications, risk management, and more. At the UT System, interns don’t waste their potential with busy work—they dive right into initiatives that leave a systemwide impact on all thirteen UT institutions.
It is under the careful guidance of their supervisors that interns can bloom and produce work with tangible results. As an intern in the Office of Academic Affairs, Aydan Villarreal (UTSA ‘28, Health, Community, and Policy MS) enjoyed collaborating with his colleagues and upper leadership. He says, “They were eager to teach me but also let me learn on my own—I used the skills I had to develop a first draft, and they came in at the end to help polish the final product.”
The interns’ projects at the UT System often call for collaboration and discussion, an opportunity for students to build skills in teamwork and networking. Elizabeth Tomoloju (UT Austin ‘26, Government BA) worked with different departments as a Legislative Intern in the Office of Governmental Relations. She had her “hands in everything, because bills cover so many areas.”
Notably, her first meeting involved an Executive Vice Chancellor, a Vice Chancellor, and General Counsel. She says that “it was the room where it happens,” where she heard discussions on a range of state policies. Through the UTSI program, interns contribute to initiatives with positive impacts on UT institutions and truly understand what it means to serve the public.
The UTSI program provides a unique opportunity for interns through its Professional Development Program, meant to nurture students’ skills for the workforce. These weekly meetings range from workshops on presentations, informational interviews, and cross-cultural communication to elevator pitch practice and peer coaching sessions with other interns.
Santiago Gutierrez (UT Austin ‘26, Government BA) found the PDP sessions particularly helpful for adjusting to a professional working environment. As a Contract Law Compliance Intern in the Office of the Controller, he explained his work to colleagues in weekly meetings. Through the PDP workshops, he learned formal speaking skills he will wield in pursuing a career in law. “When I think ‘well-rounded,’” he says, “I think of this internship.” He praises the opportunity for not only academic and social development but also professional growth.
At the end of the program, interns present their projects during a Poster Session, where they can engage with UT System employees and leadership. Staff leave the session impressed by the broad scope of the interns’ endeavors, while interns bask in pride for their work and self-assurance as successful professionals.
Lizeth Chavez (UTRGV ‘28, Computer Science MS) is one intern who developed such confidence. She has gained not only technical experience in software development, as an Information Technology Intern in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, but also grew her verbal skills and networking abilities. “By presenting and showcasing my project to people,” she says, “I was able to get out of my comfort zone.”
But students aren’t the only ones gaining from the internship. Yashambari Ajinkya, Senior Project Controls Analyst in the Office of Capital Projects, has been involved in the UTSI program since its founding. She mentored several interns in previous years but stepped into the role of supervisor this summer. She was awed by her intern Navya Verma (UTD ’26, Business Analytics BS) completing “3 years’ worth of work in 10 weeks,” happy that Verma’s project has improved efficiency for her office.
The benefits of the UTSI program extend beyond direct work results, though. If the goal of the UT System is to support student success, staff can witness the fruits of their labor in the interns: By engaging with students hailing from UT institutions all over the state and watching their knowledge and experience bring projects to life, Ajinkya says, “We can see what we’re working for.”
Lindsay Johnson takes on a similar perspective. As Audit Supervisor in the System Audit Office, she has both mentored and supervised interns over the years, serving as a mentor this summer. She recognizes the great career value that the UTSI program provides interns, citing professional development, supervising and mentoring, collaboration opportunities, and exposure to a nurturing workplace environment.
But she also emphasizes the benefits for staff. Mentoring or supervising an intern helps staff “develop communication, supervisory and time management skills,” and working with someone—especially young students—brings different perspectives that she believes has helped her career.
At the end of the summer, students walk away with much more than basic exposure to a professional workplace. Former UTSI interns have landed roles at the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of Education, PwC, Oracle, T-Mobile, American Airlines, GM Financial, iHeartMedia, or even continued full-time at the UT System. They have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Higher Education Leadership and Policy, and many more areas.
Most notably, UTSI interns finish the summer with a heightened understanding of themselves and their professional abilities. They have traded ideas and feedback with colleagues, innovated and improved work processes, researched and designed and refined. They understand how to creatively solve problems and know how to speak up and succeed in their future paths.
One of intern Aydan Villarreal’s future goals is to “contribute to policy priorities that help other people.” The UT System Internship and Law Clerk program is part of that journey. Providing guidance, skill-building experiences, and growth opportunities to students equips them with the tools to build meaningful careers and drive lasting change in their communities, in Texas and beyond.
