The Externship Program at Sacred Heart Greenwich offers rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to step into real-world work experience. Students can discover more about their passions in a variety of fields such as medicine, film, or engineering, through connections in the Sacred Heart community. During this experience, students immersed themselves in professional settings where they could learn and grow to prepare for future careers.
Mrs. Jennifer Bensen, Associate Head of School for Student Life, Mrs. Meghan Ryan, Director of Alumnae Relations, and Miss Karen Panarella, Assistant Head of Upper School for Student Life, created this program in the summer of 2023 for rising juniors and seniors. This summer, rising sophomores joined as well, and over 70 Upper School students took part in externships in media, law, fashion, finance, and more. The Externship Program allowed students to shadow Sacred Heart alumnae, parents, and other community members, thus strengthening bonds between current students and the larger community. Students traveled to various locations for their externships including Midtown Manhattan, the New York City Financial District, Brooklyn, White Plains, Greenwich, Stamford, and New Haven. Additionally, alumnae professionals based in California, Connecticut, and New York hosted virtual externships.
Mrs. Bensen supervised the matching of students to parents and alumnae hosts in diverse fields. She collaborated with Mrs. Ryan and Miss Panarella to develop a program that not only offered enriching experiences but also prepared students through resume writing workshops. Mrs. Bensen emphasized the value of connection between Sacred Heart students and skilled female role models.
“As an all-girls school, we worked to create externship opportunities with parents and alumnae hosts to empower our students by providing real-world experience in professional environments, while fostering their confidence and leadership skills,” Mrs. Bensen said. “These externships also strengthen the school community by connecting students with successful women role models, inspiring both career exploration and mentorship.”
This past summer, junior Grace Villar completed an externship in the medical field, where she shadowed Ms. Jennie Chieco ‘13 at the Diagnostic Endoscopy Center in Stamford, Connecticut. Ms. Chieco currently works as a nurse manager and gave Grace valuable insight into leadership in the healthcare industry. During her externship, Grace learned how a nurse manager organizes the responsibilities of nurses on her team. Grace also gained experience as she learned how to put in an intravenous therapy (IV) in addition to understanding the procedures of an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. Grace shared her interest in the medical field, and the unique perspective she gained from working with an alumna.
“I knew I wanted to go into the field of medicine prior to this externship,” Grace said. “It helped me differentiate the […] roles within the medical field and understand what the difference is between working as a nurse versus a doctor. I enjoyed learning from an alumna because it made me feel more comfortable and gave me confidence to fully grasp the material.”
The externships spanned multiple industries, exposing students to a broad spectrum of fields. Mr. Steve Kim P’29 organized an externship at Spotify in New York City, New York. Junior Victoria Whiteley shadowed Ms. Kathleen Spillane ‘11, a talent broker for the “Ringer” Podcast at Spotify. Ms. Spillane books guest interviews for Spotify’s sports and pop culture studio. Victoria reflected on the valuable experience she had while at Spotify and emphasizes how this externship deepened her industry knowledge and strengthened her passion for marketing.
“I was really interested in the marketing behind Spotify and learning the logistics behind their company,” Victoria said. “For example, I learned about Spotify’s collaboration with a soccer club, FC Barcelona, which initially surprised me, but I soon found that they had very similar audiences which sparked their collaboration. This exposed me to the intricacies of marketing and furthered my interest in this field.”
Featured Image by Michaela White ’26
