As the semester ends and students’ mouths begin to water at the thought of summer, many students will be taking on extra responsibilities. All across campus students from every college and background are taking on summer internships and jobs. Whether it’s for the sake of gaining experience in a given field or just to make some extra cash, many students have an interesting summer ahead of them.

Kyle Stephens, an optical science and engineering junior, has nailed a well-known and respected internship for his summer.

“”I was chosen for an internship at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center through the NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program,”” Stephens explained.

While he said the application was easy, the internship itself seems like it will offer some complex tasks.

“”During my 10-week internship, I will be assisting with testing the mirror segments for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. I will also be creating a cost model for space-based telescopes to help in the decision process for future NASA missions,”” he said.

Stephens, like many UA students, is hoping to gain a great amount of experience to apply to their area of study.

Lisa Button, an instructor for the School of Journalism who is known as the go-to for journalism internships, revealed some of the prestigious internships UA’s journalism students have nailed down.

“”Some of our students will be doing an apprenticeship with the Daily Star.”” Button said. “”Others will work with local and broadcast media in their hometowns.””

Button explained that even in these interesting economic times students are still going for unpaid internships.

“”It’s about the experience,”” she added. One student in the journalism department will be interning with the White House this summer, while two others have been selected for the highly competitive and well-respected Pulliam Journalism Fellowship.

Ashley Sanders, a studio art sophomore, has an internship at Dinnerware, an art gallery in downtown Tucson. Sanders expressed that she simply wanted to be a part of the Tucson art movement and be involved in what she loves to do. She is able to make contacts and learn from other artists at her internship.

Jobs are another story. Not everyone is interested in or can find an available internship. Having a little work experience under the belt never hurt anyone. Emily Ross, a special education and rehabilitation sophomore, gets paid for experience in her field. Ross works at a Montessori school.

“”I get paid to play with kids. It’s really great,”” Ross quipped about her fun job.

Caitlin Burns, a sociology junior, works at the Wheeler Taft Abbett branch of the Pima County Public Library. What better job is there for a student? Despite the distance – it is located near Marana – Burns is happy with the position.

Tucson offers a plethora of summer jobs if you’re looking to make some extra money while staying in town. Breaker’s Water Park hires lifeguards for the summer and most tanning salons near the UA look for new staff as summer approaches.

While retail slows down due to the blazing Sonoran heat, many employers near the UA lose their staff over the summer as students leave for home, so applying near campus is a great way to find work.

Whether it’s cash to play or experience to grow, you can find a job or internship if you look in the right places.