COOL FOR THE SUMMER: Interns able to find their niche

By Ryan Clark

CHS Communications Director



Sometimes, all you have to do is apply.

That’s what Mary Grace Hemingway did. Of course, the 21-year-old Owensboro native also had a lot of experience. The Clinical Leadership and Management major had already interned last year under Mack Howell, Chief Operating Officer of Owensboro Health Medical Group.

“I landed this internship through a project in my CLM 120 class,” she said at the time. “When interviewing (Owensboro Health President and CEO) Mark Marsh for a career profile, I asked if the organization had any summer internships opportunities for healthcare administration.”

This summer, she aimed higher — and a bit farther away. This summer, Hemingway is working for Congressman Brett Guthrie in Washington.

“I got this internship by applying to the WilDCats at the Capitol program at UK,” she said.

The WilDCats at the Capitol is the University of Kentucky’s internship program that offers any UK student the opportunity to intern, earn course credit and gain experience for a semester at the highest levels of government while living in the nation’s capital. 

And it fits in well with her major, as Guthrie is the Chair of the Health Sub-Committee.

“I am able to attend many health hearings and research topics for bills,” she said. “I also answer phone calls, write letters, and give tours to constituents. I have loved my time on The Hill. I have learned so much about federal government and health policies.”

Interning in CLM is just another way that getting your degree in the College of Health Sciences sets you apart. And it gives further proof why those who intern go on to have further success in the future. 

“After I took a class on Health Politics, Policy, and Law, I had an interest in health policy,” she said. “This internship has given me a new and deepened perspective on the politics of healthcare. Internships are a great opportunity to grow your network and find your niche.”

Each week we'll feature another student who is participating in a summer internship.