
Mentor college students and establish a direct line to a great local talent pool.
Introducing Achieve College Internships
The Achieve College Internships program connects college juniors with high-quality paid summer internships, professional training, mentors and career networks at local companies and organizations. The program is designed to help young professionals launch their careers in the Twin Cities and provide opportunities for employers to discover and support new talent.
In partnership with the Minnesota Private College Fund, we provide a direct line to a unique talent pool: diverse, talented college students who are motivated, committed to Minnesota and on an established leadership trajectory.
Our interns include former Step Up internship participants and African American male scholars from Minnesota Private College Fund scholarship and leadership programs.
We're a leader in career and college readiness programs
Achieve Twin Cities has 20 years of experience creating internships with large and small businesses, delivering nationally recognized career and college readiness programs and connecting students with professional mentors and employers.
Through Achieve College Internships, we have provided high-quality internships for over 65 college students, connecting them with Twin Cities employers that range from global businesses to local companies, nonprofits and community-based organizations.
Meet some of our college interns

Kevyn at Boston Scientific

Suabyi at Graco

Brian at Upsher-Smith
Our Interns: Preparing for Professional Careers
- Our interns are already on a leadership trajectory, preparing for professional success and building upon rich personal and professional experiences. They include alums of the Step Up Youth Employment Program as well as African American men who participate in scholarship and leadership programs through the Minnesota Private College Fund.
- Interns are local students. They are enrolled full-time in a four-year college, are deeply connected to our community and represent a direct line to future permanent hires. All participants in the 2021 summer program were college juniors.
- Interns are ready to succeed and stay. Our participants are a committed cohort of students who receive professional skills training and mentoring prior to their internships. They are driven to lead and build their careers in Minnesota.
- Interns are predominantly students of color. They represent a wide diversity of talent, skills and life experience that are critically underrepresented in our regional businesses and organizations.
Our Employers: Partnering for Internship Success
Our team works closely with employers to provide the resources and support they need for successful internships.
- The right candidates are matched to your positions: We work with you to assess your specific needs and opportunities and then connect you with the candidates who are the best fit.
- Foundational training to prepare interns: Participants complete several hours of leadership and work readiness training before internships begin.
- Intern coaching and professional development: Each intern has a designated job coach. Interns also participate in additional summer training designed to strengthen their leadership and workplace skills.
- Supervisor training: We equip supervisors with best practices training and tools, along with access to cultural competency trainings, to ensure that interns receive the support they need.
"The Pollen team told me time and again how the work I was doing directly impacted their company and helped their staff. The projects I took on allowed the rest of the team to tackle other work and will help with efficiency in the future, too. A couple of my projects are even being published!"
