LINC Program Hires Intern Aryanna Cannoy

Eastern Kentucky University’s Regional Liaison for Improving Networks and Connections (LINC) program has recently partnered with Berea Partners for Education (PFE) to hire and supervise a new intern, Aryanna Cannoy, through the Office of Regional Stewardship.

Cannoy is a junior at EKU studying public relations and broadcasting and electronic media. She will work as the Promise Neighborhood Event Planner and Public Relations intern, helping organize, schedule and plan group tours at EKU for the Gear Up Promise Neighborhood Program in Knox County Schools. Part of Cannoy’s work includes creating fun, informative activities for potential college students, such as scavenger hunts and meetings with professors and current students.

The LINC internship is beneficial for Cannoy but it is also beneficial to PFE’s Promise Neighborhood program, EKU and the students who are visiting the university in anticipation of a college career.

“We are so pleased to welcome Aryanna to the Knox Promise Neighborhood Team,” said Kelli Moore, Project Director for Knox Promise Neighborhood. “Her work to plan and implement meaningful college visits for the Knox Promise Neighborhood students will help our students find the best college fit and be better prepared to succeed.”

Cannoy connects with the Promise Neighborhood Coordinator at each school to prepare fun and engaging experiences that expose students to higher education opportunities. Student visits begin as early as fifth grade, with the idea that the sooner they are exposed to a college campus, the more likely they are to pursue higher education.

“Students will get an inside look at the school and get to interact with current college students, which not every child gets the chance to do at their age,” Cannoy said.  “This program can inspire kids to go to college and further their education.”

Melissa Newman, EKU’s Director of Regional Stewardship, has placed interns throughout eastern Kentucky over the past several years and is excited that this particular project fulfills regional needs while helping students like Cannoy become more competitive in the job market.

"Our students are gaining valuable experience while working in EKU's service region," Newman said. "This experience has already proven to be a win, for both the student and the employers. Students get better jobs upon graduation and leave the University with amazing portfolios, and the interns’ employers gain the expertise they need from EKU students."

For more information about the Office of Regional Stewardship or LINC internship opportunities, contact Maggie Bill, Regional Outreach Specialist, at 859 -622-7129.

Published on November 29, 2018