From supporting World Cup media coverage to studying organoids at Stanford, UA student interns are staying busy this summer. Here, we catch up with five interns who are doing world-changing work, serving and learning as they go and setting themselves up for legendary careers after graduation.
Covering World Cup with FOX Sports
Sure, as a FOX Sports intern, sophomore news media major Jace White occasionally fetches coffee or lunch for talent or executives. But in the middle of the FIFA World Cup 2026, there are plenty of other things to be done. Sometimes, he finds himself working with the tagboard, an interactive graphics system, while other days, he might be in studio with talent, handing them rundowns. Or, he might be assigned to the tape room, clipping reactions from watch parties across the globe to assess fan engagement.
“So everything I do goes towards the World Cup,” he explained. “But it’s a great opportunity to learn about production and how these large sporting events are put on.”
The son of a soccer coach, White is somewhat familiar with the game, but was still taken aback at its global scale compared to popular American events like the Super Bowl or NBA championships. “Working the World Cup, especially being in Los Angeles, it’s a melting pot of diversity,” he said.
Managing access at Ernst & Young
For Big Four consulting companies like Ernst & Young, as for its client companies, internal control of information and access is critical for both efficiency and security. That niche is where senior management information systems and accounting double major Jaimee Douglas works within Ernst & Young, supporting engagement teams servicing clients like TikTok, Disney or Warner Brothers, and testing internal controls, ensuring Ernst & Young associates have the correct access to digital tools needed to perform their individual roles.
Douglas has enjoyed the opportunities to visit the headquarters of client teams like the TikTok headquarters and the Warner Brothers studios. “Not only are we performing work for these people, but you get to see exactly how the work is being impactful for them and how it’s continuously allowing them to continue their operations and run these big corporations,” she said. “And it just really gives you that direct perspective of exactly how you are contributing to these companies.”
On the ground with ATF
Senior criminology and criminal justice major Emilio Alvarado is working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Chicago, assisting with investigations and undercover operations. As an aspiring federal agent, Alvarado observes undercover purchases from a safe distance and takes notes for reports, observes drone footage, and accompanies agents on search warrants.
Recently, Alvarado was able to take part in a shoot house simulation, where he and other interns roleplayed in scenarios designed to build the skills of ATF’s Special Response Team (kind of like ATF’s own SWAT team). In the simulation, a full-scale layout of a home is used to create the illusion of a tactical situation.
“So that was definitely pretty cool to be a part of,” Alvarado said.
Improving processes at Procter & Gamble
Mechanical engineering major Joslyn Bullington is at Procter & Gamble, working to improve the manufacturing processes that transform large rolls of paper into household products like paper towels or toilet tissue. A surprising amount of engineering is required, she said, to produce large quantities of product, at top speed, while maintaining quality and avoiding tearing.
Her first day at P&G, Bullington’s manager laid out five projects for her, all in different areas of the business. In one project, the UA senior is automating a spreadsheet used by operators on the line, which should increase production efficiency. In another, she is making improvements on a routine production line process to make it safer.
“I feel like [the projects] were a really good mix of getting me to touch multiple different areas of the business,” Bullington said.
Researching germinal centers at Stanford
Future researcher and senior biology and history double major Ellie Gardner is one of 14 interns participating in this year’s Stanford Summer Research Program. Gardner conducts research at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where she studies organoids—lab-grown clusters of cells that mimic the behavior of human organs.
“We culture cells in little petri dishes, and we can kind of coerce them into replicating behaviors that they have in the human body,” Gardner said.
In the Barnes Lab, researchers use cells from human spleen donors to recreate germinal centers, the specialized structures where B cells mature and produce antibodies that help protect against viruses and other pathogens. Although the process is technically complex, Gardner explained that improving the ability to model these antibody responses in organoids could provide a more accurate platform for evaluating vaccines.
This is important because, while vaccines can be tested in animal models, those models do not always fully predict human antibody responses. “And so, this would be kind of a step between an animal model and a human model,” Gardner said.