Pivot Fellows Begin 2024 Internships

Posted in News

The Georgetown Pivot Program Fellows started their professional internships on March 11,  marking the final step of their Pivot journeys. 

After completing five months of full-time classes, ranging from financial literacy to business management, Pivot fellows are matched with a three-month internship. The internships serve as a crucial period where Fellows apply the skills they acquired in the classroom to a work environment, gaining valuable experience that can often lead to full-time employment after graduation. 

“Pivot internships are also an opportunity for employers to better understand the talent available to them within the returning citizen population,” Executive and Academic Director Alyssa Lovegrove said.  “Second-chance hiring is much less daunting when you get to know someone who has been justice-involved, and that creates opportunities, not only for our Fellows but also for other returning citizens.” 

This year, Pivot oversaw the assignment of 14 Fellows to intern at 13 corporations after 22 companies came to conduct interviews. Many of the companies are returning to hire Pivot interns in the hopes of increasing job opportunities and bolstering the pipeline for second-chance employment. 

Casey Anderson, the Project Manager for LINK Strategic Partners emphasized the reciprocal relationship between interns and companies. “The key thing for us is to ensure we learn as much from our fellows as we hope they learn from us,” Anderson said. 

With the Associate Program, two Fellows have chosen to stay at LINK Pivot interns from prior cohorts, allowing them to pursue outside business ventures, take care of their children and families, and volunteer in their communities. 

Tom Dyer, the Human Resources Manager at Eaton, a power management corporation that manufactures aerospace equipment, has hired Pivot interns for the past three years. He believes the program is a win for both sides. 

“At Eaton, interns learn the soft skills: the expectations of working as part of a large team, coordinating complicated tasks to meet customer expectations, coming to work on time, being engaged, and prioritizing safety and quality,” Dyer said. 

Pivot Alum Rasheed Hall, who now works as a maintenance technician at Eaton stressed how the Fellow internship aided in his progress. “Pivot has been instrumental in my bridge. It is giving me the connections that I need – the support, the Georgetown circle,” Hall said. 

Hall is currently mentoring Pivot fellow Gregory Williams, mostly learning the skills behind facility repairs – fixing walls, roofs, and flooring. Williams is excited by the new challenge and hopes to eventually become a master electrician at Eaton. “It has been a great opportunity and I hope to gain many different trades and get those skills under my belt,” Williams said. 

Second-chance hiring is crucial to the success of the program. Luis Villafane who is interning with the McDonough School of Business Finance Department said, “I hope to gain the skills that will put me on the path to securing long-term employment, a career, and continue growing.” 

Pivot Fellows’ Internships only mark the beginning of their journey to securing stable employment. “All of these experiences help build their professional toolkit, while expanding their networks – helping expose them to new ways of working and organizations doing impactful work in the District and across the globe,” Anderson said.

2024 Pivot Intern Placements

Lewis Collins – WeFit DC

Damon Donelson-Bey – Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures/Project Community Capital

Jonathan Edmonds – Covenant House

Tariq Gaston – LINK Strategic Partners

Ashton Hinds – The Laundry Basket

Sean Mason – Dept. of Transportation/National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

Antoine Mundell – Eaton Corporation

Herbert Robinson – Center for Employment Opportunity

Kenneth Sanders – Dept. of Small and Local Business Development

Justin Stover – Astro Donuts and Beer Hall

Dre’son Tuberville – Deloitte

Luis Villafane – McDonough School

Lossou Wallace – 1863 Ventures

Gregory Williams – Eaton Corporation