A Game-changing Guarantee

A Path for Every Journey

For Sears, every experience she had in Armenia — reporting, developing a podcast and managing social media — led to another. She later completed two additional experiential learning opportunities: an internship with Massachusetts House of Representatives candidate Joshua Tarsky and a Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience project examining gender disinformation in the Middle East. “The majority of my ‘Stonehill experience’ has actually taken place outside Stonehill,” reflects Sears.

That, says Christina Burney, executive director of experiential education, is entirely the point. 

“Historically, we’ve always encouraged students to look beyond our campus for opportunities, and nearly 90% of our students were already engaging in experiential education in some form,” she says. “But by creating a formal program, we can better track outcomes, offer more intentional guidance and help students get even greater value from experience.”

The types of experiences that fulfill the guarantee are as diverse as the student interests that drive them. The EEG encompasses a growing list of 17 approved programs, from internships, faculty-mentored research and study abroad to on-campus leadership roles and service initiatives. Students can choose an experience aligned with their major or explore something outside their field of study; many do both.

“We’ve designed the EEG to be flexible, so every student can see themselves reflected in the options,” says Burney. “Whether your passion is social justice, global issues, research or professional development, there’s something here for you.”

To fulfill the EEG, an experience must be more than just participatory; it must be purposeful. Each program is structured to include clear learning goals, hands-on engagement and an intentional connection to the College’s mission. That framework ensures students aren’t simply busy but growing in ways that align with their academic, professional and personal development.

“I could have taken a part-time job over the summer, but instead, with SURE, I was able to contribute to something academically meaningful while also getting paid,” says Sears. “It wasn’t just a resume-builder — it also helped me explore whether think tank or research work might be part of my future.”

Where Experience and Intention Intersect

The intentional aspect of the EEG sets it apart: Students are encouraged to set goals and reflect throughout the experience, and then they articulate the transferable skills they’ve gained, something Burney says is critical to long-term impact.

“Reflection helps students connect the dots between what they did and what they learned,” she explains. “That makes it easier to talk about in job or graduate school interviews while also deepening their self-awareness. We want them thinking critically about how these experiences shape who they are and how they see the world.”

That’s what happened for Jorge Ortiz ’26 when he participated in Stonehill’s Boston externship program, where students visit companies across industries and meet with alumni in the field.

“It was a tipping point for me,” Ortiz, a management information systems major, says. “Until then, I didn’t have a clear picture of what life after college looked like. The externship opened my eyes to the variety of jobs out there and helped me realize that knowing what you don’t want in a future career is just as valuable as knowing what you do.”

That insight shaped the rest of his path at Stonehill, leading to internships in both education and healthcare settings. “Each one taught me something about the kind of work environment I want to be in — and that self-knowledge is huge.”

A Steppingstone to What’s Next

Burney emphasizes that the EEG is about enrichment — and employability. “Today’s employers and graduate programs want to know what you’ve done beyond the classroom,” she says. “They want to see initiative and collaboration. The EEG helps students develop those competencies in a supported way.”

Faculty and staff have a key role to play in helping students make the most of these experiences. Whether guiding a research project, supervising an internship or leading a community engagement program, Stonehill staff and professors serve as mentors who bridge the classroom and the real world, often leading students to the next step.

Sears agrees. “Every opportunity I’ve had — from Armenia to campaign communications to the digital innovation lab — stemmed from relationships I built and experiences I said yes to,” she says. “Without Stonehill’s emphasis on experiential learning, my education would have looked completely different.”

As the EEG continues to grow, Burney hopes students will not only meet the requirement but exceed it. “Our goal isn’t just to check a box; it’s to help students discover what matters to them and walk away with the skills, confidence and clarity to lead wherever they go next.”