When SUNY Oneonta turned 135 last year, President Alberto Cardelle wanted to mark the milestone with more than just cupcakes. He challenged the Red Dragon community to celebrate with purpose—by creating 135 new or recommitted internship opportunities for students.
The “Drive for 135” challenge was launched in September 2024, spearheaded by the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Career Planning and Networking Center. With help from alumni, local businesses and campus partners, the goal was met and exceeded: 140 internships at 87 different sites, giving students real-world experience, professional connections and a head start on their future careers.
Surpassing our internship goal is a remarkable achievement"
“Surpassing our internship goal is a remarkable achievement, but what truly stands out is the spirit behind it,” Cardelle said. “Our loyal and passionate alumni have shown an extraordinary commitment to supporting our students’ growth and success, just as others once supported them. By creating these opportunities, they’ve strengthened the bridge between academic learning and professional experience, while reinforcing the enduring connections that make SUNY Oneonta such a vibrant and engaged community.”
Powering Innovation: Sadie Hall `27
Thanks to the Drive for 135, junior Sadie Hall, a Math and Statistics major from Cairo, NY, is spending her semester helping an energy tech company revolutionize the future of power storage.
Hall is interning at Ioxus, the nation’s only U.S.-based manufacturer of ultracapacitors (energy storage devices that can charge and release power almost instantly). As a Statistical Analyst Intern, she crunches data and makes evaluations for key components in the company’s new MUSE energy system, allowing Ioxus to predict failure rates of certain parts, anticipate maintenance schedules and improve reliability for customers.
I do all kinds of things, including reaching out to companies for part information ...
“It’s definitely been challenging, learning manufacturing terms and doing complex calculations, but I’ve gained a lot of confidence,” Hall said. “I do all kinds of things, including reaching out to companies for part information and going back and forth with them getting set up as a customer. I was definitely a little scared to do this, but it’s been a really great experience.”
The internship came about through Ioxus Engineering Manager Nate Talbot, whose mother, Lynne Talbot, is a lecturer at SUNY Oneonta and an alumna, along with her mother and grandmother. Thanks to a stellar academic reputation, Hall was recommended by professors Talbot and Toke Knudsen, and she is now supervised at Ioxus by Nate Talbot, who said her initiative made her stand out.
“Traditionally, an engineer would handle this work, but I thought this would be a good opportunity for a statistics student to get some hands-on experience in a manufacturing setting,” he said. “In college, I had an internship in grid stabilization, and I really made the most of the opportunity to learn and grow and have this safe place to practice. Sadie is doing the same and has been a great member of our team, and we’d love to hire her full time.”
More photos from the Ioxus Internship Interview
Building Experience: Brandon Maler `27
Brandon Maler, a junior Business Administration major from Brookhaven, NY, is interning this semester at the Oneonta City School District’s Business Office, supervised by SUNY Oneonta alumna Kellie Renwick `01, the district’s Business Manager.
Renwick, who studied accounting at SUNY Oneonta and has worked in education for 20 years, heard about the Drive for 135 and saw it as a chance to give back.
“When I got my alumni magazine in the mail and read about this effort, I knew we had all kinds of experiences to offer an intern” Renwick said. “We were down a staff member and could use the help, and I also wanted to give a student the same kind of opportunity I had when I was an undergrad and completing an internship.”
After interviewing several candidates, Renwick selected Maler, whose assigned tasks range from processing time sheets and reconciling checks to tackling special projects that free up staff time.
It’s rewarding to see a student apply what they’re learning in class to real-world situations."
“Brandon’s been a breath of fresh air, really eager, reliable and curious,” Renwick said. “It’s rewarding to see a student apply what they’re learning in class to real-world situations. And it’s also important to me to help show the many opportunities, particularly in business finance and accounting, that are available right here in our rural regions that students may not even realize exist.”
The internship has reinforced Maler’s career goals.
“It’s been very hands-on and great for me."
“It’s been very hands-on and great for me,” he said. “I want to get my master’s and work in accounting, in auditing or taxes, maybe even have my own firm one day. This internship has helped me build time-management skills, responsibility and confidence. I would highly recommend it to anyone.”
More photos from the Center Street School Internship Interview
Investing in the Future of Red Dragons
Want to help shape the next generation of leaders? If you know of alumni who may have opportunities to share, please encourage them to contact the Career Planning and Networking Center.