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

Current available internships

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“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

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.
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.
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.

Map: locations of the home towns of this year's interns

View a larger map of the 2024-25 home communities of REV interns (including OR, WA, HI, Palau, and Micronesia)

Intern positions

55

Number of student interns*

57

REV Projects with Internships

17

*Some students have done more than one internship with REV.

REV Student Interns & Mentors

* repeat REV intern

2024-25 REV Interns

Anjelynn Baron, GO-ASAP Coordinator

Anjelynn is from Honolulu, Hawaii and an MAT student at Eastern Oregon University who is working towards becoming an elementary PE teacher. “GO-ASAP allows me to teach students various sports and outdoor activities which allows me to practice my teaching skills and build connections with students,” Anjelynn said.

Shane Bartolome, Rural Planning Partner Intern

Shane is from Micronesia and is studying politics, policy and public administration at Eastern Oregon University. His goal is to become a politician. “Being a politician you need to acquire leadership skills, communication skills, and be a effective decision maker,” Shane said. “I believe the rural planning program internship will build up my skills in these specific areas.”

Photo: Claire Bevers, Blues Intergovernmental Council Intern

Claire Bevers, Blues Intergovernmental Council (BIC) Intern

Claire is a mathematics major at Eastern Oregon University from San Mateo, CA. “I plan on working in the public sector, so this allows me to see how this sector runs, with the communication between different parts of government,” Clare said. “It also helps improve my communication skills, through discussions at meetings, and through online communications.”

Nathan Evans, Rural Planning Partner Intern

Nathan, from Bend, is an Economics and Public Administration major at Eastern Oregon University. “After participating in this internship, housing policy has definitely formed into a focus of my career. I want to have a healthy workplace and I feel that’s exactly what I’ve had in this internship.”

Kellen Grant, Marketing Intern

Kellen is an Agricultural Entrepreneurship major at Eastern Oregon University from Heppner. Through his internship, Kellen gets to practice his marketing skills to recruit students for other REV internships, organize and publicize special events, and promote the Urban Rural Ambassadors program.

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.”

Madison Hjort, Thirty Mile Creek Research Intern

Madison is an Ecological Biology major from Enumclaw, WA who wants to work in fish and wildlife management. “I want to work in either freshwater or salt water projects that lead to the restoration of aquatic ecosystems,” Madison said. “I see these can be reflected in my current internship by analyzing and working with freshwater macro invertebrates. Working with these organisms I have been able to learn about their taxonomy and what their populations say about the water quality within the areas they've been collected from. This will aid my understanding in how aquatic organisms within restoration areas affect the bodies of water they reside in with preexisting knowledge that I've gained from this internship.”

Jenna Houseworth, GO-ASAP Intern

Jenna is a nursing major at OHSU - La Grande from Oregon City, OR. “I have always had a passion to work with kids, my future goals include being a pediatric nurse,” Jenna said. “Nowadays children spend a lot of time on screens. By participating in this program we can help encourage kids to get outside and enjoy physical activities together specially for kids who do not have a home on sports teams.”

Calvin Leidich, Fivemile Creek Intern

Calvin is an Ecological Biology major from Koror Palau. “I want to improve the environments I survey,” Calvin said. “This internship is all about health monitoring of the ecosystem we survey. It's great practice!”

Megan Palzinski, Rural Planning Program

Megan is an Elementary Education major at EOU from Hermiston.

Flor Pena, GO-ASAP Intern

Flor is a nursing major at OHSU - La Grande from Hermiston. “I would like to provide the best possible care to my community, a safe space, and support for families,” Flora said. “When I was younger, I was supported and helped from my community and it allowed me to grow to the person I am now. I want kids, like how I once was, to feel like there is someone there for them always helping them throughout their life and encouraging them.”

Hayden Robinson, GO-ASAP Intern

Hayden is a nursing major at OHSU - La Grande from La Grande. “I have a strong interest in pediatric nursing,” Hayden said. “I think the GO-ASAP program will grow my therapeutic communication skills so when I work with kids in the future, I know how to connect with them and give the best possible health care.”

Brandon Silani , GO-ASAP Intern

Brandon is a nursing major at OHSU - La Grande from Eagle Point whose goal it is to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. “This internship will help me learn different ways to talk to the kids so I can improve on communication with my patients, whether they are children or adults,” Brandon said.

Rian Woodard, REV Social Media Intern

Rian is an elementary education major at Eastern Oregon University with the goal of becoming a second grade teacher. “While getting the opportunity to work with a community through REV and other interns, I’ve learn how to cooperate and discuss issues to work on problem solving and brief discussions throughout a professional environment.”