Sristi Halder ’26, majoring in quantitative economics and data analytics, deepened her connection with research and colleagues as a Research Analyst at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School’s Healthcare Department and Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. Sristi chose Summer Undergraduate Mentor Research (SUMR), because it was more than interacting with data. The cohort toured Philly, attended an Academic Health Conference in MN, networked with leading economists during Lunch and Learn sessions, and completed GRE prep sessions.

During the 13-week internship, Sristi worked on two research projects in Health Economics from beginning to end with multiple professors and graduate students from different institutions. Sristi’s first project was about physician loans and choice of specialty; the second researched the unionization of medical trainees. Throughout, she developed a lot of research skills and ultimately coauthored two research papers with Dr. Atul Gupta and Aidan Crowley, both currently in review for publication.

Sristi was one of 35 funded applications for which the Common Grant unlocked doors. The students who opened them built new relationships in professional communities and with the research process itself.

During his internship at EY (previously known as Ernst & Young) in Strategy and Transactions, Kwasi Asante ’26 learned about interpreting financial statements, financial modeling, and due diligence. He deepened his interest in finance and accounting while gaining practical, hands-on experience.

“The most important thing for the Beloit community to know about my internship is that the connections I built with managers and partners made it truly meaningful,” shares Kwasi, who plans to pursue a career in finance. “My favorite part was bonding with a manager over our shared interest in cars, which showed me that higher-ups have lives outside work. My advice to other students is to stay organized, be adaptable, and take every opportunity to build genuine relationships.”

Basil Nicol ’28, who is double majoring in geology and anthropology, observed relationship building in another species by conducting a behavioral study on monkeys during the Primate Behavior and Ecology course at La Suerte Biological Field Station located in northeastern Costa Rica and part of the Maderas Rainforest Conservancy. The area is home to diverse plant and animal life, including three species of monkeys – spider, capuchin, and howler.

Basil trudged through mud, got chased by a Tamandua, and worked long nights analyzing data by hand on the social behavior of monkeys – how much of their behavior is dedicated to agonistic (aggressive behaviors) and how much is affiliative (bonding behaviors).

Basil’s next steps are to examine primate behavior patterns and their connection to human behaviors, asking “How did we get there?”

To arrive at the La Suerte field station, Basil also applied for support from the Beloit College Common Grant and received funding that paid for the course and most of the transportation expenses.

Thomas Fleming ’27, a sociology and cognitive science major with a philosophy minor, conducted an independent sociology research project with Professor Charles Westerberg, who sits on the Rock County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Their project analyzed criminal charging decisions over the past 10 years through a critical research lens, identifying patterns and trends, and investigating whether groups were unfairly targeted. While Professor Charles Westerberg built relationships to gain access to the data, Fleming built his skills in preparation for the project: Strong communication skills led to access to the data, and were required to create a readable packet with analysis and descriptions of charts in a format people could understand.

Kwasi shared Thomas’ love for analysis, discovering that he enjoys using analytical skills to solve real business challenges and developing an appreciation for the impact of consulting work.

“One part of the experience that stood out to me was client interaction. At first it was challenging because I never pictured myself doing that, but I was given several opportunities and I enjoyed it. It required close attention to detail and a clear understanding of what the client wanted.”

Thomas Fleming plans to “be a voice” by pursuing a PhD after graduation. His advice for others: “Talk to your professors and talk to Career Works as much as possible. Worst case scenario you get some more information, build a relationship. At best you do something meaningful for you and open doors to what you want to do later. There are more avenues than people know exist in specific fields you are thinking about.”