Another summer has come and gone and with that, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas has successfully hosted its second year of cohorts for the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program, a program that focuses on providing internship opportunities to women of color in STEM career fields.
Maddie Spickard, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at WFA, presented this year’s program, and discussed the benefits of this particular internship program, as well as the impact this has had on the community as well as the interns.
Spickard speaks about the growth of the WFA Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
“We have a longstanding-tradition at WFA in providing opportunities for women in the state. We’ve been doing the Girls of Promise initiative since 2000, so that is 20 years of advocating for girls in STEM fields in Arkansas,” Spickard said. “We saw that there was a need for young women to find jobs in the STEM field and so we created this program for young women of color, particularly, to help make room for equity in the state. Last year was our first year of this program and we had 14 interns, this year we had 25 interns, and nearly doubled our program in companies we partnered with and reach.”
Marnie Oldner, the Chief Executive Officer at Stone Bank, the sponsoring partner of the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program, discussed how this internship in particular, has allowed for interns to not only become connected with other like-minded women of color in STEM, but has also allowed for networking opportunities.
Oldner speaks to guests at the closing ceremony for the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program 2022. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
“It is a gift to be able to meet all of you that participated in this program. Earlier this summer, we brought you out to Stone Bank and had the opportunity to share the Stone Bank story with you, and what is yet to be written is your story, and I am excited to see what your story will be in life. [This internship program] has been a blessing and I greatly appreciate it,” Oldner said.
“I am so proud of all 25 interns that are part of this cohort. Many of them have moved across the state, worked full time jobs and pushed themselves past their comfort zones. They have gained skills in their respective fields, reflect on their experiences and worked hard. To the interns: I hope you continue to work hard, graduate and work in your fields, and my biggest hope for all of you is that you would continue to build pathways and mentor women so they are able to have similar experiences, and I hope you continue pushing for equity within this,” Spickard said. “I hope one day there will be so much diversity that a program like this won’t even be needed.”
As stated earlier, this year’s internship cohort grew to include 25 intern from ten colleges and universities across Arkansas and eight participating companies. The program expanded this year to Northwest Arkansas, where three interns in the cohort were able to work with Arvest Bank in Rogers. According to Spickard, the average GPA of this internship was a 3.3 and seven of the cohort members have had the opportunity to extend their internships into the fall semester, with some extending them into the spring as well. One has been offered a part time job by the company she interned for and two have been offered full time jobs, making for a great impact on the community as well as the interns.
“As a returner to this program I’ve seen so much growth in the program. This internship has provided me with so many opportunities that I never would have been able to have in my hometown. It has allowed me to meet life-long friends and mentors. Everyone involved in this program is genuinely changing lives and I cannot wait to see how this program continues to grow and evolve,” Naija White, a recent graduate from Southern Arkansas University, said.
White speaks on her experiences as a two-time cohort member for the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
Not only has the Tjuana Byrd Internship Program allowed for women of color to have a leg up, but it has also allowed support of international students, such as Oyinkansola Abejide, an international student from Lagos, Nigeria, at the University of Central Arkansas.
Abejide speaks on her internship experience. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
“All the ups and downs that I have experienced in order to be part of this program have been worth it. Being part of the Acxiom community, where I interned, was worth it. My roommates made this experience worth it. The networking experience made all of this worth it,” Abejide said. “I am very grateful to be part of this program that supports women of color so well, it’s all be so helpful and I would like to thank everyone for encouraging me and pushing me throughout this summer.”
Alexandria Mooney and Alma Puga, both students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, also spoke on their experiences as part of the 2022 cohort.
“I am so thankful for the WFA for this opportunity, because I wouldn’t be here, in this position without them. I’m from a small town where opportunities have to be sought out intentionally and I wanted to follow in my sisters footsteps, because I watched them both become very successful,” Puga said. “I’ve cried a lot today – not sad tears but tears of joy because this program has helped us so much in opening doors to success through this program.”
Puga receives her internship completion certificate from Floyd. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
Mooney attended the Girls of Promise Conference during her eighth grade year, and to her, this is one of the most impactful experiences she was able to be part of.
“It’s been so refreshing to be surrounded my young women of color in STEM this summer. I attended the Girls of Promise Conference in eighth grade, and it was there that the WFA sparked my interest in engineering, and it’s partly why I chose to study it,” Mooney said. “WFA has helped me so much and I’m so incredibly grateful because not only did they spark my interest, but they helped me get my first internship in the field as well.”
Mooney receives her Internship Completion Certificate from Floyd. (Photo by Kat Holitik).
Jill Floyd, the WFA Board President, spoke of how much this program has meant to not only her, but the WFA as a whole.
“Two years ago, in the backdrop of everything that was going on in our world, we [WFA] were planning this program for women of color in STEM fields. Our No. 1 focus was women of color in STEM because there is such a need for women of color to be in STEM fields,” Floyd said. “As a woman of color in STEM, I get it and I also appreciate the boldness and courage that the WFA and our sponsors have, because it has gotten us this far. Last year, I told our sponsors ‘thank you for your courage,’ and so this year I want to say thank you for your dedication. Thank you for coming back and continuing to stick with us and helping us in supporting these young women.”
Tjuana Byrd, the woman who this internship program is named after and the first Black woman president of the WFA Board, expressed her hope for the continuation of the program.
“This is only the second year and I know it will only continue to get better. All of the interns are amazing, phenomenal women and I am so proud to have my name attached to this wonderful opportunity for young women of color,” Byrd said. “I know these interns will all help change the face of what our working society looks like and their futures are guaranteed to be bright.”
In addition to Stone Bank serving as the presenting sponsor for the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program, Acxiom, Arvest Bank, the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, Central Arkansas Water, Windstream, L’Oreal, Dassault Falcon Jet and CDI Contractors also supported the program.
