Dear Community Partners, Alumni Donors, and Alumni Mentors:

We are excited to offer this 2024 Annual Report to you as a supporter of Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS). As always, we thank you for your dedication to our program, and invite you to read about the impact PICS had this year, and how you can become part of the difference PICS internships make to Princeton students’ experience here and beyond their time at Princeton.

While this year's Annual Report will certainly provide information about the year we are closing out, we hope you will enjoy the highlight we put on our Alumni Mentors throughout the report. We asked three recent alumni, all members of the PICS Executive Committee and former PICS interns themselves, to reflect on their time as interns, and how their experiences as Mentees shaped how they approach mentorship now. Please enjoy the insight they provide!

With Tiger cheers,

During the summer of 2024, PICS continued to grow, once again hosting our largest cohort of students (246); these students worked with 204 Community Partners and over 180 Alumni Mentors. 

Thanks to the sustained generosity from both alumni donations and the University via the Learning and Education through Service (LENS) initiative, the Pace Center was able to continue the cost of living adjustment for students working in person or on a hybrid basis in certain cities. Implemented prior to summer 2023, this adjustment allows both PICS and the Pace Center to support equity and access for all of our internships. 

Our continued growth allowed us to maintain some initiatives we began for summer 2023, as well as implement a few new ideas, including opt-in directories for students and Community Partners to allow for connection throughout the summer. 

As we look toward summer 2025, we will foster the relationships we have, especially with our engaged alumni community, and are excited about the idea of bringing on even more wonderful Alumni Mentors and Community Partners. 

PICS is similar to a three legged stool with each leg representing a different constituency - students, Community Partners, and Alumni Mentors. Thank you to each group for your participation and for making the program what it is.

Mentor testimonial - Dr. Roy Xiao, Great Class of 2014, PICS Intern in 2011 and 2013

“Being a mentor was a goal I had ever since I graduated from Princeton. PICS shaped my outlook on my career after mentors like Drs. Michael Cunningham, Martin Eichelberger, and Randall Burd showed me how to integrate research and service into medicine. It was so incredibly rewarding to have the chance to host my own intern in 2023 to not only get them involved in this line of work, but also provide a robust and comprehensive clinical experience to further inform their professional journey. While I am wrapping up my clinical training and taking a break from hosting an intern for now, I am incredibly excited to restart in the next few years and establish a tradition through PICS.”

Pairing each participating student with an Alumni Mentor is what sets PICS apart from other programs here at Princeton. A feature of the program from the beginning, Alumni Mentors come from all Princeton classes and decades. For summer 2024, alumni from the 70s as well as the 2010s showed up for these young Tigers! 

What does it mean to be an Alumni Mentor to a PICS student? Mentors are asked to meet with students at least three times throughout their internship, provide insight to the professional world, and show students exactly how the Princeton Alumni Network can work for them. Serving as an Alumni Mentor can be so rewarding. If you are so moved, please contact the PICS team to learn more about becoming an Alumni Mentor!

Though the COVID-19 pandemic looms large in our memories, the summer of 2022 marked a return to pre-pandemic participation for PICS. This coincided nicely with elevated funding and support from the University, as well as the opportunity to focus on data collection and process enhancement, a number of findings we are excited to present in this report. 

Note: The student data presented in this section is from the last three summers (2022-2024), while the data presented about Community Partners focuses on the last two summers (2023 and 2024), due to changes in how we gather our data starting in 2023.

Class year

PICS opportunities are offered to rising second-, third-, and fourth-year students. From this chart, we can see the appeal of a PICS opportunity remains quite high for rising second- and third-year students, with a consistent number of rising fourth-year students participating each summer.  

Internship format

Remote and hybrid offerings remain options for PICS students, though in person still ranks as the most popular choice for both students and Community Partners. The steady growth of PICS has allowed for in person and hybrid options to increase each of the last three summers, while remote positions have fluctuated more. PICS remains committed to providing the opportunities sought after by students, as well as what fits the needs of the Community Partners we serve. 

As PICS expands its offerings in order to meet both student and Community Partner needs and demands, it is also important to understand where the students’ interests lie. First reported for summer 2023, we have continued to track sector and job function data to better understand how we can provide what the students are seeking, in order to ensure we’re recruiting the proper Community Partners. The balancing act of aligning with student interest and providing opportunities they may not think to immediately consider remains!

Note: These charts reflect the students who completed internships for summers 2023 and 2024, not the overall number of students who applied to PICS throughout any of the three rounds.

Sector breakdown

One goal of PICS is certainly to offer opportunities that align with student interest. Interests have clearly skewed heavily toward government and public policy the last few years, with education and healthcare following closely behind. This data provides insight into sectors that, though they may not rank as highly as the top three, are still highly sought after and ones we will need to make sure we continue including in our annual recruitment efforts for Community Partners.

Job function details

For the second summer in a row, research remains the top job function for positions taken by students. Research positions came in the form of all but one sector represented, proving it to be the most versatile job function represented. 

Mentor testimonial - CeCe Coffey, Great Class of 2015, PICS Intern in 2012

"My alumni mentor was a key part of what made my PICS experience so memorable! I was 18 when I did my PICS internship in San Francisco and I moved to the Bay Area for the summer without knowing anyone. My mentor, Ryan Erickson '03, took me out to lunch and even introduced me to friends of his who were working in my intended field -- energy and environmental policy. He helped me feel comfortable in a new job and a new city. I'm grateful to have been able to serve as an alumni partner myself over the last several years and I hope to bring the same sense of "having your back" to my PICS intern partners as Ryan did to me."

Beyond the 246 interns who participated this summer, PICS is fortunate to work with at least one supervisor or Community Partner employee per student, as well as an Alumni Mentor. This means, effectively, each student has 3-4 people supporting them throughout the summer. With so many people involved, there is ample opportunity for connection and expansion of the PICS family and we appreciate everyone’s interest and involvement.

Orientations

The Pace Center Summer Service Internship Student Orientation was held in late April and featured a panel of participating Community Partners, including the New Jersey Department of Education’s Environmental and Public Health Analysis unit. Students gathered to be in community with each other, meet before the summer began, and get excited about their upcoming summer.

Prior to the student Orientation, we gathered with our Community Partners. Thank you to Jill Seeber with the Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice and Leigh Allen with CLEO, Inc. for offering their time and expertise as our panel - offering insight into working with primarily remote interns and spreading the joy of supervising PICS students.

Finally, alumni gathered in May for their own Orientation. Former Mentor-Mentee pair Rob Falk ‘85 and Rosie Arbittier ‘20 spoke about their approaches to Mentoring and how their relationship has evolved following Rosie’s PICS internship. 

Office Hours

Coming off the heels of successful implementation in 2023, PICS’ weekly office hours continued, rotating between students, Community Partners and Alumni Mentors. These were held virtually every Tuesday, with attendance varying between the groups; it’s really wonderful to have the opportunity to connect with all three constituents on a deeper level. 

Alumni Gatherings

Thanks, once again, to the amazing PICS Executive Board and their organizing skills, alumni gatherings were held this summer in Annapolis, Washington, DC, New York City, Princeton, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston. Thank you to Rob Wolk ‘91 for spearheading the organizing of these events this summer and to our wonderful alumni hosts - Dr. Marty Eichelberger ‘67, Vivian Moore P20, Rob Wolk ‘91 and Dr. Ralph Binder ‘70, Sue McSorley ‘77, Sandy Rea ‘69 and Stephanie Judson, Yung Bong Lim ‘87, and Mary Strother Sullivan ‘90.

PICS is lucky to have a wide range of supporters, including donors, alumni mentors, and community partners. Alongside the University support we receive, we could not run the program without the support of each and every one of these groups. Thank you for supporting our work.

As an official Princeton University Program, PICS is housed in the John H. Pace Jr. '39 Center for Civic Engagement. PICS is directed by Class of 1969 PICS Program Director Emily Sharples, and managed by PICS Program Coordinator Rose Holton. PICS is supported by its Friends Group, which consists of more than 2,500 members, and is steered by the Executive Committee:

Chair

Jennifer Daniels '93

Vice Chair

Yung Bong Lim ‘87 (Operations)

Secretary

Vivian Moore P20

Treasurer

Chuck Freyer '69

Communications Subcommittee Co-Chairs

Kate Bellin '02 and Beverly Randez '94

Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chairs

Rob Falk '85, Hayley Gorenberg '87, and Rob Wolk '91

Membership Chairs

Ryndy Ditmars '87

Operations Subcommittee Co-Chairs

Dr. Ralph Binder '70 and Yung Bong Lim '87

Additional Members

Rosie Arbittier '20, Bob Axelrod '69, Professor Miguel Centeno, Bill Charrier '69, CeCe Coffey '15, Brett Dakin '98, Dr. Marty Eichelberger '67, Dr. Evan Fieldston '98, Angie Lopez Campos '11, Paul Haaga '70, Irene Hsu '20, Raquiba Huq '13, Professor Stanley Katz, Delaney Kerkhof '18, Stephen Kim S92, Rick Kitto '69, Seva Kramer h69, Marion Krueger '18, Eve Lesser '77, Bob Loveman '69, Suzanne McSorley '77, Ana Pranger '22, Bob Raymar '69, Jeri Schaefer h69, Leonard Schaeffer '69, Emily Sharples (ex-officio) h69, Morgan Smith '21, Mary Strother Sullivan '90, Catherine Toppin '02, Duncan Van Dusen '92, Roy Xiao '14

We expect to continue to see strong student interest in medical service and government community partners, but will continue to encourage student knowledge an interest in all sectors on offer. With a record number of internship offerings, we are confident more student interests will be met, with increased accessibility for all interested students. 

The Pace Center and the University continue to signal their strong commitment to service is integral to a Princeton student’s education, and PICS is proud to lead the way with civic service internship opportunities. Thanks in large part to the Great Class of 1969 and the legacy they have created, PICS will continue to support many Princeton undergraduates in internships that provide them with real-world learning and a professional experience to respond directly to community needs. Generous Princeton alumni and friends help ensure every Princeton student has an equal opportunity to benefit from the program, regardless of financial aid status or family circumstances. 

How You Can Help

Whether you’re a student, Community Partner, or Princeton alumnus, we would be honored and delighted to have you partner with PICS to celebrate and share what we can make possible.

• Students can apply to PICS internships each fall. 
• Community Partners can apply to host a Princeton student each summer.
• Alumni have a variety of opportunities for getting involved throughout the year. As a Princeton alumnus, you can:
  • Support an internship by funding a paid summer civic service experience for Princeton undergraduates
  • Serve as an alumni mentor by mentoring a student during their summer internship
  • Suggest an internship by connecting us to nonprofit organizations interested in hosting an intern
  • Serve as a regional volunteer by helping to connect interns with resources and events

Mentor testimonial - Delaney Kerkhof, Great Class of 2018, PICS Intern in summer 2017

“I remember the uncertainty I felt navigating the working world for the first time, so I'm glad I can assuage some fears as a PICS alumni mentor. I remember how my mentor checked-in frequently and how that made me feel more comfortable asking both big and small questions. Whether it's questions about the industry or advice on soft skills, I enjoy being someone my mentees can bounce ideas off throughout the summer.”

We are so grateful for your participation in making PICS the impactful program that it is. The entire PICS team is filled with gratitude for the time, gifts, commitment to students, and commitment to the University you made this year. The impact of your support resounds across generations and touches so many lives, perhaps best expressed in the words of our students.

Truly, thank you for being a part of the PICS community as we all grow and learn through service together.