York student awarded ‘Intern of the Year’

Posted on 25 November 2021

A third-year student has been awarded Intern of the Year at a celebratory event at the University of York.

Anna Rigby (l) was an intern at Chia Charge, founded by Tim Taylor (r). Photo credit: Emily Narey

Anna Rigby, who is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University, picked up the accolade in recognition for her work with Chia Charge, a York-based sports nutrition business.

Anna received the award at a special event held by staff from the University of York’s Student Internship Bureau, which celebrates the achievements of their summer interns, and the opportunities provided by local businesses.

Experience

Upon receiving her award, Anna said: "I'm honoured and amazed to be named 'Intern of the Year'. I really enjoyed spending my summer learning new skills and gaining experience of working what felt like a 'real' job. Chia Charge were a fantastic employer, very supportive and welcoming and overall I feel much more confident in myself and my abilities as a result of the internship. I'd like to thank both Chia Charge and the Student Internship Bureau for making it possible."

Over the summer, 54 University of York students undertook a diverse range of projects, helping local employers to tackle business challenges, while the students developed important skills and experiences to support them in their future careers. Many of the projects received funding from Santander Universities.

Amanda Selvaratnam, Head of Corporate Training and Director of The Training Gateway at the University of York, was on the panel to select this year’s winner, alongside Louise Saw, Business Growth Manager from the City of York Council, and Andrew Lowson, Executive Director of the York BID.

Creative ideas

Louise Saw, Business Growth Manager at Make it York, said: "Internships offer a great opportunity for students to experience working environments and learn new skills, whilst also bringing talented people with innovative and creative ideas to a business.

"Hearing from the students, it’s clear to see that internships are a great success, a win-win for all parties, which is proven by several of the students getting their internships extended.

"As a Business Growth Manager my job is to help businesses develop, and introducing and facilitating an internship is a great way to help them take steps in new or unfamiliar directions. Congratulations to all the award winners!"

Runners-up

Closely behind Anna were three Intern of the Year runners-up: Dominic Radley developed a financial modelling tool to support Harrogate based JudgeService in analysing potential new markets; Rosalin Brolly worked with Ellers Farm Distillery to support their moves toward becoming a carbon neutral business, and Yu Tung was based in start-up Experience Heritage to develop visual materials to support bidding for new business.

The event also recognised the exceptional support and opportunities that host employers provided during a challenging year with the announcement of “Employer of the Year”. After a competitive nomination process, led by the interns themselves, Ellers Farm Distillery was selected as the 2021 Employer winner.

Further information:

The University of York’s Student Internship Bureau offers business the opportunity to engage the talent, skills and enthusiasm of York students and graduates to tackle short to medium-term projects of genuine value to them.

Since September 2018, over 350 projects have been delivered on a part-time basis during term times, or on a full-time basis over the vacation periods. The Student Internship Bureau offers support in designing appropriate projects, advertising and selecting the best candidates and offers quick, easy and value for money systems to get students working on projects with the minimum of delay.

Santander Universities provides a generous gift to The University of York to subsidise internships to work within independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises (defined as fewer than 250 employees). Subsidies can be up to 50% of the cost of the intern.

For more information on student internships please visit The University’s internships webpages or email careers-placements@york.ac.uk