Biochemistry major Liliana Watkins ’27 shares insights from her internship experience
By Emily Glory Peters
Scripps College is proud to announce the resounding success of its 2025 Internship Challenge! Driven by the generous spirit of Scripps families, the challenge surpassed its goal by raising over $50,000 in new funding for internship grants.
Launching this past November, the Internship Challenge set out to increase student access to summer internships, many of which are unpaid or offer minimal compensation. Recognizing how limited resources can block students from career development, Scripps parents Mark and Molly Gamble P’25 pledged a dollar-for-dollar match up to $20,000 to inspire others to give.
“The response to the match from the Scripps community was fantastic,” said Karina Chappell, director of leadership annual giving and The Scripps Fund. “Throughout the campaign, which culminated during Family Weekend this February, 114 donors—including families, alums, faculty, staff, and friends—came together to raise a total of $51,420, exceeding the original $40,000 goal by 128 percent.”
The impact of these gifts is profound. Last year, similar initiatives empowered Scripps to award 100 summer internship grants—the highest number since pre-pandemic days. The funding will immediately create 20+ additional grants so Scripps students can explore novel fields, gain concrete skills, and feed their professional network.
With more than 87 percent (and rising) of Scripps students completing at least one internship, says Chappell, grants will continue to be the competitive edge they need to break into new industries. Since these grants are only possible through donor giving, each student’s success is a testament to the importance of giving back.
“Our community cares about what happens to students during and after their time at Scripps,” she says. “Interning is some of the best preparation to help them apply classroom learning, and this investment in their future is something we can all be proud of.”
The Internship Challenge ended on February 16, 2025, but you can still make a gift to Scripps College by clicking here!