The externship program allows students to enter the worlds of finance, media, film, design, and more through connections with Sacred Heart Greenwich alumnae. Upper School students can spend a day or two with an alumna at their job, learning the ins and outs of different professions while gaining valuable real-world experience. This summer opportunity encourages students to explore possible careers and determine if they are well-suited for their fields of interest.
Mrs. Jennifer Bensen, Director of Student Leadership, Health, and Wellness, Mrs. Meghan Ryan, Director of Alumnae Relations, and Miss Karen Panarella, Assistant Head of Upper School for Community Engagement, launched the Sacred Heart externship program last summer, and rising juniors and seniors could complete an externship in June, July, and August. An externship offers participants a glimpse into a specific field or industry they are interested in pursuing. Alumnae in various career fields reconnect with their school community on King Street by sharing their time and expertise with students, both in person and virtually. Starting this summer, this opportunity will also be available to rising sophomores. Through this program, students shadow accomplished alumnae in diverse industries and endeavors.
Mrs. Bensen helps to manage the program by matching students’ career interests with alumnae areas of expertise. She discussed this experience’s multifaceted benefits for participants and commented on the opportunities that the externships offer for Sacred Heart students.
“When we developed the externship program, we wanted to create opportunities for students to network with our alumnae as well as current parents so that they could experience a one-day window into different careers,” Mrs. Bensen said. “Anytime students are able to step outside of their comfort zone, as they are thinking about college and life beyond, they are able to experience something first hand, it can create excitement and help guide someone in what they want to major in and beyond, or guide someone towards a certain field. I enthusiastically support the powerful connections that women to women make for our students and alumnae, you build those connections today, and they will continue on and I think you really can’t unsell the power of these connections.”
Last summer, junior Starr Boursiquot completed an externship in the media industry. She shadowed alumna Ms. Kate Benjamin ’11, who currently works as a Product Strategy Manager at Warner Brothers and Discovery Media. Starr’s favorite part of the externship was exploring the office in Hudson Yards, New York City and getting to meet Ms. Benjamin’s coworkers. She explained why she was initially interested in participating and what she was able to take away from the program.
“I’ve never been completely certain about what I want to do with my life in terms of a career path, so I took this opportunity to explore a field of interest,” Starr said. “By gaining hands-on experience and directly immersing myself in the field, I was able to gain perspective on what a future in it would look like and determine whether it was the right fit for me.”
Externship opportunities are available to students in a variety of professional fields, such as design, medical science, media, film, and innovative science. For example, alumna Ms. Margaret Feeney ’00 hosted senior Olivia Ritossa and junior Tiffany Abrahams at the University of Connecticut Technology Incubation Program.
In addition to meeting accomplished alumnae, externships also allow students to discern if certain fields of work truly interest them. Career exploration enables students to be more aware of available career options and see which areas align with their passions. Starr shared insights into how she benefitted from her externship experience and what she concluded in terms of her own interests and future career.
“From my externship, I was able to learn the ins and outs of an office job and discover how they aren’t as boring as they may seem,” Starr said. “After my experience, I did learn that I am not well suited for a job in the marketing and advertising field; however, I will be applying to the program again in the hopes of exploring a new career field. I thank Mrs. Bensen, Mrs. Ryan, and Miss Panerella for all their hard work and organization they have dedicated to the externship program, and I highly encourage everyone to participate in the program if they are unsure what they are interested in for their future.”
Featured Image by Avery Quake ’26
