Scholarship recipients gain invaluable experience with summer jobs
July 13, 2026
Meeting Street Scholarship recipients are gaining real-world experience they can’t get in the classroom. From working as accounting interns to caring for patients, they are building skills they will carry into their future careers. We caught up with five recipients to learn more about their summer work experience.
Jalen Hayes
Scholarship recipient Jalen Hayes, a rising senior majoring in business administration at Winthrop University, is working as a social media and competitive strategy intern at Food Lion.
Some of his projects have been conducting a competitive social media audit of Food Lion’s platforms across its regions and developing an influencer landscaping map.
How did you find this internship?
My school’s fall career fair
What’s the best part about your internship?
The workplace culture, support and the encouragement of being curious
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your internship so far?
Being the best in the room is stagnant to growth. As you climb the ladder to success, you stop being the doer and it’s more based on what you can get done through others.
Sy’Mone Miles
Sy’Mone Miles, a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in English, is working as an intern for the Meeting Street Scholarship. She helped plan its annual Celebration Summit and is supporting the team with the Scholarship application process.
How did you find this internship?
I heard about the Meeting Street Scholarship internship through Shila Bair, the director of admissions.
What’s the best part about your internship?
At the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, I’ve loved the position’s organic progression. The timing of every assignment I’ve completed is intentional, as we are on schedule with the summer application process and the upcoming fall semester. This schedule keeps the Scholarship’s work both timely and plentiful, just adding to the impact that I’ve seen it make for many in the state. It has been a treat to now work with recipients in another capacity outside of being a campus mentor and leader at the University of South Carolina. And the office itself is one based on family and principles, which has made the entire process both easy to adjust to and navigate, as everyone is welcoming, warm and eager to collaborate. It boosts the mood of daily work and cultivates an immense feeling of progress for not only the Scholarship, but the Beemok Family Foundation and its aim as a whole. I believe being able to observe and be a part of this continuous mission for greater has to be the best part of my internship experience!
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your internship so far?
At the Meeting Street Scholarship, I’ve learned that sound relationships keep companies successful and growing long term.
Mystarria Jenkins
Mystarria Jenkins, a rising senior at the University of South Carolina studying biological sciences, is interning at HopeHealth in Lake City. She is gaining hands-on experience by helping medical assistants with patient care and learning about what a typical day looks like for a family physician.
How did you find this internship?
I found this internship opportunity through a connection I made while networking.
What’s the best part about your internship?
The best part about my internship is getting to be a part of the HopeHealth family. HopeHealth focuses on serving others, giving hope and changing lives, and you can truly feel the love and care that everyone puts into their work. The environment feels like a family, and it has been inspiring to see how much everyone cares about the patients they serve.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your internship so far?
The most valuable thing I have learned so far is the importance of building strong connections with patients. Medicine is not only about treating conditions but also about listening, showing compassion and making patients feel cared for. Watching the providers and staff create meaningful relationships with patients has shown me the kind of impact I want to have in the future.
Christopher Townsend
How did you find this internship?
I found the internship through Handshake.
What’s the best part about your internship?
The best part of the internship is the office environment and the fact that I can put it on my resume.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your internship so far?
The most valuable thing I have learned so far is that it is crucial to network in the workplace and ask questions about things that can help you advance in your career.
Jahona Reed
Jahona Reed, a business administration major at Winthrop University, is interning at The Weaver Law Firm in Bennettsville, helping with bookkeeping and gaining accounting experience. She has also had the opportunity to sit in on civil and traffic court hearings.
How did you find this internship?
I was able to find this internship through my hometown network of connections.
What’s the best part about your internship?
The best part of this internship is being able to learn about various things alongside accounting. Some examples include how the law works, what those in law do daily and how critical law systems are.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at your internship so far?
The most valuable thing I’ve learned so far is that a community takes many people to run effectively. Everyone within a workplace, community and society is just as important as the next.
