For many River Hawks, the opportunities to do internships, develop professional skills and contacts through co-op jobs and conduct research alongside faculty members are key reasons to come to UMass Lowell. These experiences make all the difference in their college careers – and open doors to new learning, career and leadership opportunities. Here’s what some of them have to say:
“UMass Lowell had tons of different science opportunities, and I knew I could find whatever I wanted.”
- Biology major Grace Hansen ‘23
Grace Hansen looked at UMass Lowell and saw a wealth of possibilities.
“UMass Lowell had tons of different science opportunities, and I knew I could find whatever I wanted,” says the biology major, who serves as captain of the UML women’s Division 1 lacrosse team.
UMass Lowell also offered Hansen admission to the Honors College and an Immersive Scholarship: $4,000 she could use to do research with a faculty member or to study abroad after completing her first year. She used the scholarship to travel to the Galapagos Islands, to study in a two-week summer program focused on one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet.
Hansen is also a science teacher in the making: She is majoring in biology and minoring in STEM education through the UTeach program.
“UMass Lowell provides a ton of opportunities for students, but you have to be paying attention when they come.”
-Accounting major David Levine ‘23
Along with the affordable tuition, the Professional Cooperative Education program was the main reason accounting major David Levine chose UML.
He got a summer internship following his freshman year at LGA, an accounting firm based in Woburn, Massachusetts. Levine enjoyed his experience at LGA so much that he returned the following year for an eight-month co-op position with the enterprise tax group, and then again the following summer for another internship.
Levine plans to continue interning at LGA during his senior year — then start working at the firm full-time after completing his bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“UMass Lowell provides a ton of opportunities for students, but you have to be paying attention when they come,” he says. “You have to get involved and take advantage of them.”
“I chose UMass Lowell because of the undergraduate research opportunities.”
-Exercise Science major Hannah Allgood ‘23
Hannah Allgood wanted to go to college where she could conduct research while working toward her goal of becoming a physical therapist.
Of all the schools where she applied, UMass Lowell seemed the most welcoming for undergraduates wanting to do research, she says. It also has a bachelor’s-to-doctorate program in physical therapy.
“I chose UMass Lowell because of the undergraduate research opportunities,” she says. “Other schools didn’t have a structured pathway for research.”
“Getting hands-on experience with all this technology … was absolutely incredible.”
- Mechanical Engineering major Teerth Patel ‘23
Teerth Patel has interned at one his dream companies – Tesla, and even got to take one of the company’s cars for a spin.
As an intern, he spent 17 weeks on the manufacturing floor of the Tesla Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, working with the quality engineering team on the final assembly of drive units.
“Getting hands-on experience with all this technology, seeing the direct impact of my work on my dream company, was absolutely incredible,” says Patel, a mechanical engineering major and Honors student.
Along with his coursework, his previous experience as a product supply manufacturing intern at Procter & Gamble in Andover, Massachusetts and his work at UML’s Baseball Research Center as an Immersive Scholar helped prepare him for the position at Tesla.
Patel says the opportunities for gaining real-world experience while an undergrad drew him to UML.
“I feel like UMass Lowell was the perfect package,” he says.