Summer Internship Spotlight: Psychology major Adiba Mukarrama Islam ’26 is completing an internship this summer with Youth Villages, a national nonprofit that helps young adults with behavioral and emotional challenges and their families live successfully. As an intern, Adiba is gaining hands-on experience at their residential campus working with youth ages 9-12 by assisting them with positive development and implementation of individual goals; planning and leading recreational activities; and being a positive role model in demonstrating a healthy and wholesome approach to life. "I've always wanted my career to be centered around helping others, giving back to the community, and making a meaningful impact. This internship at Youth Villages has been an amazing opportunity to experience that firsthand. Working with the youth and getting to know truly committed people here has strengthened my commitment to a career in nursing and mental health." (fb)

Kendall Rander '26 used the Honors Summer Research Program to study the conquest of Guatemala in order to better understand how it impacted the Maya while also evaluating how the Spanish used or destroyed the land they conquered. In the project, “You are What You Eat: Maize, Cannibalism, and Communion in the 16th Century Guatemalan Highlands,” Kendall examined various historical documents and leveraged their interest in political conquest and organization to evaluate different responses to these cross-cultural interactions. Kendall also explored how the Maya reinterpreted Spanish customs to fit their pre-existing religious beliefs, specifically looking at burial customs, communion practices, and figurative cannibalism. (fb)