Sophomore Joseph Micucci is interning for the NBC show "Heroes."

One of the hardest parts of Jonathan's Wolff's day is ordering lunch.

The senior economics major is doing an internship in the financial analysis section of the Hungarian Central Bank this summer, and while all of his daily work is conducted in English, ordering lunch from local Budapest restaurants has proven challenging. "I normally just point and say 'kerem' which means 'please.' When they respond by saying something in Hungarian at lightning speed, I come back with 'Nem ertem,' which means 'I don't understand,'" Wolff explained.

Wolff was offered the rare opportunity to intern at the bank, a position usually reserved for doctoral students from top universities. But he's not spending his days making coffee for executives. "The first week was spent studying research papers published by my co-workers on their implementations of the nation's monetary policy. Since then, I've been collecting data on Europe and research by other European central banks to help the monetary policy team make informed decisions for the monthly key rate meeting," he said.

Wolff is one of numerous Quinnipiac students taking part in a summer internship. Students are interning in a range of industries and using the opportunity to hone skills and apply knowledge learned in the classroom to a real-world professional setting.

Junior Amy Egizi has put her keen eye for fashion to good use this summer as an intern for Tommy Hilfiger's public relations department. One of Egizi's jobs is to pick out clothes for celebrity events, such as the company's "Rock Session," a benefit concert with musicians showing off the newest fashions onstage. She loves it, although the task can sometimes be nerve-racking. "I'm carrying around a pile of expensive clothes that are probably worth more than everything I own," she says, and then has to flag down a cab in Manhattan. But when Egizi sees a celebrity wearing the jeans she picked out, it's all worth it. "It's really rewarding-I love it!"

Egizi is also learning about marketing, licensing and helping to organize "the corporate closet," a treasure trove of clothing from a variety of designers, vintage Tommy Hilfiger items and outfits worn by celebrities. "I haven't had a dull day yet," she said.

While Egizi is riding across Manhattan in a taxi, junior Matt Galo is often driving a van to Brooklyn to pick up props for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," where he is a general production intern. Some of his duties include bringing tapes to the studio, giving feedback on jokes to the writers and occasionally filling a seat in the audience during taping. And while working with a group of comedy writers and producers is fun, Galo says there's also pressure to get it right. "You don't want to screw it up because it could affect the entire show."

Galo says he's learning how to talk to people-including executive producers, celebrity guests and even O'Brien himself. He plans to pursue a career in the TV or film industry, so the internship is great experience for him. "The best thing is I get to meet people and make contacts," Galo said. "I'd love to work there after I graduate."

Senior Nadine Wright used her portfolio of work from interactive digital design classes to land an internship at a well-known graphic design firm in Redding, Conn.

"I get to do a lot more than design interns would in a big New York City firm. I do hands-on work and have input into projects," Wright said. The firm, Alexander Isley Inc., designs advertisements, packaging, books, magazines and signage for a variety of clients.

"They really respect the interns and depend on us to get things done," Wright said. She especially enjoys working with the full-time designers and going along on occasional client visits. While the internship involves a daily, hour-long commute each way, Wright still jumped at the chance to take it. "I realized that the benefits for my résumé and the new pieces in my portfolio would make it worth it."

Janette Lopez supervises a group of hourly workers as part of her internship at Target. Lopez, an MBA student who earned her BS in marketing at Quinnipiac, is an executive intern at the company--a position that includes training in a retail store and learning about the corporate philosophy, employee management and a range of other skills. "I have a lot of freedom. I can decide what I what to learn," she says.

She's using the management skills she learned in class and seeing how they play out in real-life work situations. Lopez says she's figuring out how to motivate people and build relationships with the employees she is overseeing, who range from high school students to senior citizens. She strives to uphold the corporate philosophy of treating customers as guests in the store: "Guests come first. You need to be on your toes at all times," she said.

As an intern at the news radio station 1010WINS in New York City, junior and WQUN reporter Kevin Rincon relishes the opportunity to write, cut audio tape and observe the staff. "I really enjoy working with skilled professionals. No matter how many questions I ask, they always seem more than happy to answer," he said. The station only took one intern for the summer and Rincon was chosen from a large pool of applicants from across the country.

Rincon occasionally interviews New Yorkers about hot topics in the news and recently attended a press conference at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office. "The things I am learning go beyond what I can learn in the classroom and I'll be more than ready to work in the radio business after I'm done," he said.

As an intern for the NBC show "Heroes," filmed in Hollywood, Calif., sophomore Joseph Micucci says he's getting a feel for the show's entire production, from writing and filming to the editing room.

Micucci switches departments each week, which allows him to learn a range of tasks, including working on the set and helping to edit episodes. He also escorts actors to makeup sessions, photocopies scripts and interacts with the executive producers, writers and directors.

"This is one of the best opportunities I have ever had," Micucci said. "Everyone on the show is extremely welcoming and treats me like I am one of the paid employees. It has allowed me to have an experience I could never find in the classroom."

Junior Matt Galo has a variety of responsibilities as a general production intern at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."	Sophomore Joseph Micucci helps out on the set of NBC's "Heroes" as part of his summer internship duties.

MBA student Janette Lopez is an executive intern at Target, where she's getting a chance to test out her management skills.	Senior Jonathan Wolff is interning at the Hungarian Central Bank in Budapest. On the weekends, Wolff explores the city and travels.