InTERPShip Academy Highlight: Joey Schneck and Reece Temoney
Michael Rovetto, Staff Writer
7/30/2024
Maryland Made’s 2024 InTERPship Academy concluded on July 26, resulting in a resounding success. The eight-week program provided work experience for a record-setting 41 student-athletes in their desired industries.
Student-athletes were able to grow in professional settings on and off campus, which will aid in their career readiness post-college. Participating student-athletes were required to work 15-20 hours per week while completing a weekly self-reflection journal and attending four professional development sessions. The academy concluded with a final capstone project presentation, where every student-athlete shared their internship experiences and the valuable lessons they left with.
The InTERPship Academy boasted representation from 16 varsity sports. These include men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women's golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, women’s basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, softball, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.
Joey Schneck, a rising redshirt freshman on Maryland’s wrestling team, is one of many who landed an internship through the InTERPship Academy. As a biology major, he interned with Luminis Health, which solidified his desire to work in healthcare. The wrestler plans to attend medical school after graduating from Maryland.
“I can take away from the experience how much healthcare providers really care about their patients,” Schneck said. “It's really clear. Everyone I've been working with really loves what they do. They love working with people and trying to help people. It's the same type of passion that I want to have. … It’s inspiring, and it's nice that I have these people I can look up to in the future.”
Schneck shadowed professionals at three locations, splitting time between Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in Goddard, Luminis Health Physical Therapy in Odenton and Luminis Health Physical Therapy in Bowie.
Reece Temoney, a track and field student-athlete, is another who landed an internship through the InTERPship Academy. As a rising junior studying communication, he interned with Maryland Athletics’ creative video department.
“I have a passion for photography, video editing and getting behind the camera,” Temoney said. “Being able to take in information and advice from people wanting to give it to you for free was awesome.”
Temoney assisted in producing Maryland football’s media day and interviews of the men’s basketball newcomers. He also contributed to the new season of “UNLOCKED” and “All-Access” episodes on baseball, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.
I can take away from the experience how much healthcare providers really care about their patients. It's really clear. Everyone I've been working with really loves what they do. They love working with people and trying to help people. It's the same type of passion that I want to have. … It’s inspiring, and it's nice that I have these people I can look up to in the future.Joey Schneck
The InTERPship development sessions each student-athlete participated in included workshops on branding and storytelling, leadership development, and coffee hour (networking). Schneck and Temoney say the development sessions and weekly self-reflection journal entries were valuable to the InTERPship Academy’s programming.
“I can go back and look at these journals,” Schneck said. “I can see what I wrote down, and I'll be able to see what progress I've made from there, or I can see things I still need to work on. Doing those journals also motivated me to journal every day.”
Temoney’s and Schneck’s favorite development session was the networking conference. Maryland Made provided a networking workshop with groups of people categorized by their professions. Schneck was assigned to the healthcare group, which included many different people from different kinds of medical field careers.
“They shared their own take on being in the medical field, which I really appreciated because the medical field is such a big field that can be really hard to navigate and figure out what you really want to do,” Schneck said. “It was really nice just to hear those different perspectives.”
I have a passion for photography, video editing and getting behind the camera. Being able to take in information and advice from people wanting to give it to you for free was awesome.Reece Temoney
Schneck’s favorite journal reflection prompt was the one that asked them to list challenges they encountered in their role and how interns are keeping up with industry trends. For the challenges, he wrote down the language barrier, the specific specialties in the medical field and the day-to-day work encounters. As far as keeping up with trends, he followed several pages to keep up with the ever-changing healthcare field.
Temoney’s favorite journal reflection was when he had to give his elevator pitch, which he utilized during the networking event.
“I go in knowing myself, but I come in with open ears, listening to the professionals and what they do in their industry,” Temoney said. “Then I just find ways to branch off of that. A lot of times, it's easier to talk about your passion with people who have common interests or had some of the same processes you had to go through.”
Both student-athletes agree that Maryland Made and the InTERPship Academy provided positive career development experiences. Temoney believes one of the biggest things he has taken away from his involvement is the staff’s commitment to allowing everyone to be their authentic selves.
Temoney started a club on campus, Young Black Creative, which is in its first year of programming. The club seeks to provide a hub for Black creators to network and promote their abilities. He says he wants to offer the same environment that allows others to be authentic.
Maryland Made embraces the motto “Be Who You Are, Do What You Want!” The InTERPship Academy allows Maryland student-athletes to make that a reality. The InTERPship Academy is just one example, and the program continues to grow in the interest of students and Maryland Made’s internal and external stakeholders.
“I am very proud of all of our athletes and the work they put in this summer to help separate themselves from their peers,” Adaeze Alaeze, Program Director of Student-Athlete Career Development, said. “For many of the students, this was their first internship opportunity, and it's an amazing feeling to be on this journey with them!”
