WHO WE WORK WITH
Students
The REV Center provides EOU students real-world, hands-on experiences and helps communities throughout eastern Oregon. This program inspires students across all disciplines by offering opportunities for fieldwork, research, internships, and service learning with local partners. The goal of REV is to cultivate vibrant and prosperous rural communities in eastern Oregon so they can build a path forward for living and working in this area.
REV also coordinates the Urban Rural Ambassadors course, offered every spring. EOU and Portland State University collaborate on the course and students from both universities are in the class. The class includes a few online sessions and two weekends, one in and around Portland and one in around La Grande. The Urban Rural Ambassadors course aims to build awareness across the urban-rural divide and better understand and appreciate similarities and differences surrounding common social and economic issues.
The Importance of Internships
How Higher Ed Leaders Can ‘Build Better Internships’, Inside Higher Ed, June 10, 2024
More than half of Americans no longer believe college is worth the cost. Paid internships could help. Fast Company, January 9, 2024
Paid Internships Are Vital To Student And Employer Success, Forbes, July 27, 2023
“My internship with the REV has given me a greater understanding and appreciation for forestry and agricultural based industries in rural Oregon communities, and the impacts that sustainable forest practices and holistic economic development have on those communities' well being. It has solidified my interest and passion for economics, and influenced me to focus on rural economic development as a career.”
-- Sarah Buddingh, 2022 REV Intern
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“The REV internship gave me the opportunity to work towards something I was passionate about. It was a great experience, working with a supportive team and trying to make an impact on the community. The experience has taught me what I am capable of and inspired certain career paths.”
-- Hunter Schiess, 2020 REV Intern
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The REV supports a number of projects promoting rural resiliency, workforce development, and enhancing regional resources while providing hands-on learning experiences for the next generation of rural leaders to develop meaningful career pathways in rural Oregon after graduation.
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Gain experience working on real-world community-led projects which connect classroom learning to professional development. We connect with courses from a wide range of disciplines.
By working closely with community partners, you can make professional contacts leading to professional opportunities, internships, and full-time jobs. This can help you discover more interests and strengths, as well as what type of work environment you thrive in.
Build your resume: Develop skills directly translatable to the workforce and look great on your resume, in a portfolio of your work, provide you with work references, and potential job offers after graduation.
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Talk to your professors about collaborating with the REV center.
Contact us to find out how you can volunteer, do independent study, or apply for an internship!
If you are interested in becoming a student intern, sign up for our Internship Alerts.
While earning a bachelor’s degree, student internships work with community partners on multi-year projects applying knowledge from their academic coursework, building skills in project management and leadership, and gaining a deep understanding of complex rural issues and environmental sustainability.
From the marketing classroom to public administration and environmental science, EOU faculty and students are interested in learning through active engagement with eastern Oregon issues and communities. REV provides capacity and support to make collaboration easy and effective.
REV Student Interns & Mentors
2025-26 REV Interns
Dale Cratty, GO-ASAP Intern
Dale, from Bend, is a student with OHSU School of Nursing, La Grande. “My goal is to be a psychiatric/mental health nurse,” said Dale. “By participating in this internship, it will allow me to build upon my current knowledge of therapeutic communication, be better equipped to assist and gain trust from adolescents who may need/want help, and overall become the best nurse I can be by utilizing every opportunity that is provided.”
Rachel Gaskell, GO-ASAP Intern
Rachel, from Elgin, is a student with OHSU School of Nursing, La Grande, who is planning on going into Labor and Delivery.
Indy Gauthier, Marketing Intern
Indy is a freshman from Keizer majoring in Communications and Public Relations, brings a strong curiosity about the world and an interest in learning across cultures. Indy’s parents graduated from EOU and we are thrilled to welcome her to our team to support the Urban Rural Ambassadors Program next spring and promote REV events and opportunities to REV’s partners across our service region and the EOU community.
Megan Harris, GO-ASAP Intern
Megan, from Yacolt, WA, is a Psychology major who is working toward becoming a mental health counselor. “I love working with kids,” Megan said. “I think it is very important to spread knowledge about mental health early in the lives of young people so they have the knowledge they need to help them through difficult times that may affect their mental health.”
Jessica “JJ” Johnson, GO-ASAP Intern
JJ, from Bend, is a student with OHSU School of Nursing, La Grande, who is working toward a career in underserved and rural communities. “I see this internship as a meaningful step toward those goals because it allows me to strengthen my clinical judgment, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and better understand the systems that impact patient care,” JJ said. “It gives me hands-on experience that directly supports the kind of nurse I am working to become.”
Nerita Juda, Child Care in Union County Intern
Nerita, a Pacific Islander, is a graduate student studying public administration at EOU. “My career goals center on working in public service to improve community outcomes through data‑informed policy and program development,” Nerita said. “My current field placement with the REV Center, where I assist Dr. Daniel Costie in analyzing child care data for Union County, has strengthened my interest in evidence‑based decision‑making and community-focused research. As a mother of two, I’m personally invested in issues like childcare access and quality, which motivates me to contribute to meaningful, practical solutions. This internship aligns closely with my goals because it allows me to build my analytical skills, deepen my understanding of local government and nonprofit collaboration, and directly support initiatives that improve the well‑being of families in our community.”
Jocelyn Palmer, GO-ASAP Intern
Jocelyn, from Elgin, is a student with OHSU School of Nursing, La Grande. “While I don’t necessarily plan to specialize in pediatrics, I strongly value early health education because it lays the foundation for lifelong wellness and healthy decision-making,” Jocelyn said. “I see these goals reflected in my clinical experience with GO ASAP (Get Outside After School Program) because it allows me to focus on prevention and health promotion at an early stage. Working with children who may not be involved in sports or other activities gives me the opportunity to encourage healthy habits, physical activity, confidence, and social connection.”
Omdi Skebong, Blues Intergovernmental Council (BIC) Intern
Omdi is a freshman from Medalaii, Koror, Palau, majoring in Politics, Policy, and Public Administration with minors in Communication Studies and Sociology/Anthropology, and is deeply interested in public service, policy development, and environmental sustainability. Omdi is working with Professor Daniel Costie to support ongoing facilitation of the Blues Intergovernmental Council Forest Plan Revision.