SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - As the school year gets under way, UnionAthletics.com is taking a look at some Union College student-athletes who have spent their summer gaining valuable experience via Union's extensive internship and extracurricular programs!
 
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Union's Becker Career Center has continued to provide virtual career and internship assistance to Union students throughout the spring trimester and summer and into the fall. Click here for more information on internship opportunities and resources at Union.

To view other profiles of what Union student-athletes have been up to this summer, visit https://unionathletics.com/tags/whathaveudonethissummer.
 
Name: Quinn Helmig
Sport: Men's Lacrosse
Major: Economics
Internship: Intern at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
 
Quinn Helmig is entering his senior year with the Union College men's lacrosse team, where he has been a three-year member as a midfielder. As a sophomore and junior, Quinn was a member of the Liberty League All-Academic team, excelling in the classroom as an cconomics major.

How did you learn about this internship?

I applied on Handshake for it. The job was posted after we went home due to COVID, so I am grateful to have an internship with such a competitive job market.

What does NYSERDA specialize in?

I work for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and we help fund clean energy companies with the goals of: 

• Attracting the private sector capital investment needed to expand New York's clean energy economy
• Overcoming barriers to use clean energy at a large-scale in New York
• Enabling New York's communities and residents to benefit from energy efficiency and renewable energy

What did you do at your internship?

I was working on a project to have up-to-date investment data in our system. After we start working with companies, we ask them to provide details of other investments coming from sources like Venture Capital and Private Equity firms. We only started requesting this data in 2009 and many companies still do not provide us with all of the information we ask for. It is my role to get this data in our system and provide my team with an efficient means of keeping it up-to-date in the future. This data helps NYSERDA measure the market impact of our funding.
 
Was your internship changed at all due to the pandemic?

No, since I got it after the start of the pandemic, NYSERDA knew that it would be virtual.
 
How is your internship related to your major?

As an Economics major, the information that I was working with directly related to what I have been learning in the classroom. My job also involved data analytics, one of my minors.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

This internship provided me with a great experience and I have learned a lot. I am currently looking for full-time opportunities to apply my data analytics background to the financial services industry.