Men's Soccer | September 17, 2015

PHILADELPHIA – Five members of the La Salle men's soccer team – David Tuchinsky, Mike Kirk, Matt Robinson, Bobby Briggs, and Joe Farrell – completed internships over the summer in an effort to lay the foundation for successful careers after their days on the McCarthy Stadium pitch are finished. 

Tuchinsky interned at Neptune Tech Services in Jacksonville, Fla., researching and developing a self-healing composite while also helping assemble a 3D printer. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin native credited La Salle and the Integrated Science, Business and Technology program with helping him excel. 

"Throughout the ISBT program at La Salle, you learn problem-solving skills and how to design your own experiments and tests," Tuchinsky said. "Neptune was very loose with the research and development so many times I was able to design my own samples and tests."

Kirk served as an intern with the accounting and auditing firm of Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC. Based in Harrisburg, the firm focuses mainly on governmental auditing. The Mechanigsburg, Pa. native spent the summer helping with the audit of Franklin County after enrolling in an auditing course at La Salle last spring. 

"I was able to spend less time on the basics of auditing that I learned in class and more time expanding on what this field of accounting would be like as a full time job," Kirk said. "I was able to take on larger parts of the audit and in return was given more responsibilities by my supervisors."

Robinson worked in the Policy Services Department with the US Liability Insurance Group in Wayne, Pa. The junior imported insurance quotations and policies, entered data, scanned policies, and file sorted quotations. Robinson also credits La Salle with helping prepare him for what he faced on the job.

"The internship was a great experience and showed me how businesses conduct operations with different teams to reach a common goal," said Robinson. "La Salle has provided me the necessary resources and prepared me to succeed in the business environment."

Briggs, who plans to apply to medical school after graduation, completed an internship in the La Salle Biology Department conducting neurological research. Under the advisement of Dr. Gerald Ballough, Briggs and a team of researchers studied alcohol induced brain damage on rats to learn detailed anatomy of the brain and how to identify pathology.

Farrell secured an internship with Johnson & Johnson's Information Technology office in Raritan, New Jersey. The senior ISBT major assisted in the formulation and deployment of requirements methodologies utilized by internal and external consultant resources, and is interviewing with the company for a full-time position following graduation. 

"We stress the importance being a 'student-athlete', and quality student-athletes are building a foundation through internship opportunities," said head coach Pat Farrell. "Networking and practical experience gained in internships are valuable assets to help launch a career."