Boise State students looking for meaningful internships can look to Bronco Corps. Launched in 2020 by College of Business and Economics Career Services, Bronco Corps has since facilitated 120 student internships. This is an impressive stat, but the internships stand out for another reason: they’re offered by community small businesses and nonprofits that lack the resources to pay interns. Here’s how Bronco Corps bridges the gap.
Organizations apply and are accepted into the Bronco Corps program if they can provide interns with meaningful mentorship and relevant work related to business functions or operations. Students apply for the positions through Handshake, but once hired, they’re paid by Bronco Corps using donor funds. This ensures students are paid for their time ($16.50/hr in 2025), organizations receive the help they need, and donors have a significant impact on both the community and students’ lives.
“To put it in business terms, it’s a win-win,” said Monique Halgat, College of Business and Economics Career Services career coordinator. “Both parties benefit. There’s a major impact for organizations who might not otherwise be able to afford to pay an intern, but it’s also really helpful to the students who get mentored, work on purposeful projects, and also get paid for their work.”
One person who can attest to that is Hailey Fackrell, owner of Greater Heights Marketing. As a Boise State marketing student, she did two Bronco Corps internships. Now she owns her own business and hired a Bronco Corps intern last summer. Fackrell’s first Bronco Corps internship, with Rolling Hills Counseling during her junior year, was pivotal.
“Before the internship, starting my own business wasn’t even on my mind,” Fackrell said. “Rolling Hills was my first real job experience other than restaurants or retail, and it gave me a chance to explore my skills and figure out what I wanted to do. I got to try social media and web design, delve a little bit into branding and logo design, and learn about effective growth strategies and building a network.”
And Fackrell’s work made a real difference for Courtney Lossmann, LMSW, owner of Rolling Hills Counseling.
“I had just opened a private counseling practice three weeks prior to meeting Hailey,” Lossman said. “I struggled with advertising, marketing and the overall business development of my practice. Hailey’s knowledge of marketing, advertising and business planning significantly increased my client population.”
With her own internship experience in mind, Fackrell hired a Bronco Corps intern for her business last summer.
“As an intern, making an impact was awesome. From the other side, it meant a lot to help a student gain that experience,” Fackrell said. “My intern Katie did a great job and I was able to hire her as an independent contractor after her internship ended. And Bronco Corps really helped my small business scale – this year I’m on track to triple my revenue.”
Small businesses bring meaningful engagement for students
These are just the kind of opportunities College of Business and Economics Career Services staff look for when businesses apply to be part of Bronco Corps.
“Bronco Corps internships are different because students are often more involved than they would be at a big company,” said Laura Chiuppi, director of College of Business and Economics Career Services. “Small businesses lean in and involve interns in all aspects of the business, from working on a variety of projects to going to leadership meetings.”
Bronco Corps began in 2020 when, inspired by a similar program at another university, Dave Wali of the Gardner Company and member of the College of Business and Economics Advisory Council donated seed money to start the program. The initial goal was to support local nonprofits and small businesses during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we built the program, we were trying to identify needs and gaps in the experiential learning programs on campus,” Chiuppi said. “We landed on the idea for Bronco Corps, and it’s an example of how COBE supports students and the community. Through the program, we’re making connections in the business community and helping prepare graduates for their careers.”
Of the 99 organizations that have hosted a Bronco Corps intern, 100% of them recommend the program. And 30% of them have offered their interns full-time jobs moving forward.
The deadline for small businesses and nonprofits to apply to Bronco Corps for Summer 2025 is Nov. 29, 2024. For more information, contact Laura Chiuppi at broncocorps@boisestate.edu. Bronco Corps internships are posted on Handshake starting in February, and any current Boise State student is welcome to apply. Notably, international students can also participate because the internship positions are paid by the university.
Finally, the program welcomes financial donations to support the internships. While a recent large gift ensures Bronco Corps funding for 2025, contributions of any size make a difference. Each intern is paid a maximum of $2,640 during their internship, so even a small donation can help support additional internship positions. Learn more on the Bronco Corps web page.