Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business has earned a national reputation for innovation, recently receiving its fourth “Innovation That Inspires” award from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—more than any other U.S. business school.
The college’s commitment to innovation is evident in its new CampusBridge Internship Program, a comprehensive approach to experiential learning that goes beyond the traditional internship model. Designed to strengthen the connection between classroom learning and professional practice, CampusBridge aligns with the fourth pillar of Georgia State’s strategic plan: “Beyond College to Career.”
At its core, CampusBridge reimagines how and where internships happen. Instead of limiting opportunities to summer terms or requiring students to travel off campus, the program enables companies to potentially operate internships year-round through a physical presence on the Georgia State campus for company supervisors and student interns. Students complete meaningful, career-related work during the academic year, often fitting work shifts between classes while also receiving structured coaching and professional development support from Robinson staff. Companies receive targeted recruiting and talent pipeline support, along with ongoing feedback informed by student surveys.
The initial concept for CampusBridge stemmed from the relationship between Peter Demerjian, director of Robinson’s School of Accountancy, and Crowe LLP. The global accounting firm runs a similar program called “Crowe on Campus” with other universities during spring busy seasons.
The concept stemmed from the relationship between Peter Demerjian, director of Robinson’s School of Accountancy, and global accounting firm Crowe LLP. Here, Demerjian is pictured (far left) with student participants and Clark Hornstra, a partner at Crowe LLP (fifth from left).
“We loved the idea of creating a space for students to have meaningful work experience on campus with external companies,” said Jason Aldrich, Robinson’s associate dean for strategic partnerships and early career talent programs. “Our senior leaders recognized the benefit for our students and the potential to scale to other companies, so we built in coaching and concierge-level support to enhance the experience for both students and company partners.”
“CampusBridge offers our students meaningful work without having to sacrifice their academic priorities,” said Jeanne Artime, Robinson’s senior director of strategic partnerships. “It solves a real challenge for students while giving employers access to a broader and more diverse talent pool.”
For employers, the benefits extend well beyond convenience and brand visibility. Kristen Leadbetter, CPA and audit managing director at Crowe LLP, leads the firm’s Global Delivery Team and oversees internship operations connected to the program.
“CampusBridge allows us to start working with interns earlier in their college careers,” she said. “It gives us a chance to get to know the students, train them on live audit work, and provide a foundation for them to be successful when they begin full-time careers post-graduation. The Robinson team does a fantastic job of supporting both the students and our on-site supervisors.”
Here, a student intern works on a project for Crowe LLP on Georgia State’s campus.
Andrea Castle, an Atlanta-based Crowe partner and member of Robinson’s School of Accountancy Advisory Board, emphasizes the operational value of the program during demanding business cycles.
“The program helps us during our spring busy season when we need reliable, skilled workers,” Castle explained. “The students’ quality of work has been excellent, and the support they receive from Robinson’s staff ensures they show up professionally prepared. We are going into our third year, and it’s really cool to see the confidence grow in the returning students, who are now supervising and helping the new student interns.”
After demonstrating success with early partners, Robinson began scaling CampusBridge by onboarding additional companies. One new partner is StreamLabs Inc., a Chubb company that provides smart water leak detection and remote water shut-off systems for residential and commercial customers. Georgia State students primarily work in customer support roles that are critical to the business and serve as entry points into broader career pathways within the Chubb ecosystem.
Louis Hobson, president of StreamLabs and senior vice president for Chubb’s North America flood business, describes the partnership as a direct response to workforce challenges.
“Creating a pool of students who come work with us and support the business has been a massive game changer,” Hobson said. “It provides the perfect buffer for us to deal with spikes in volume and any attrition we may encounter. It also positions StreamLabs to be able to jump to the front of the queue to source talent—a huge advantage for us. The students are super-productive; within the first two months, we realized a 4x return on our investment.”
Supervisor Sarah Hendrick (third from left) and students gather in the branded office space for StreamLabs, one of the most recent company partners to join the CampusBridge roster.
CampusBridge’s emphasis on coaching and professional development is designed to help students navigate workplace expectations and translate their experiences into long-term career readiness.
“For some students, participating in their first internship can be intimidating,” Aldrich said. “The cohort model and individualized coaching help students build confidence while balancing academic and professional expectations.”
For many students, the impact is transformative. Jennifer Byamasu, a Georgia State alumna who interned with Crowe through CampusBridge, describes the experience as uniquely integrated into her academic life.
“It was so much easier being on campus,” she said. “I could go to class, work on real audit projects, and apply what I was learning in real time. It was the best of both worlds as a student and a professional.”
Students enjoy the convenience of attending class and fulfilling their internship responsibilities on the same campus.
Returning intern Alain Dijon shares a similar perspective, crediting the program with helping him translate experience into opportunity.
“Robinson helped me manage challenges, strengthen my resume, and prepare for interviews,” he said. “The skills I learned helped me land an internship with Porsche. Without CampusBridge, I wouldn’t have been as prepared.”
Both students note that CampusBridge offers something rarely found in traditional internships: a strong sense of community and support. “It felt like being part of a family,” Byamasu said. “The support from Robinson’s staff made all the difference.”
As Robinson looks ahead, CampusBridge is positioned as a scalable partnership model with plans to grow to eight to 10 partners over the coming years. By combining on-campus access, the potential for year-round internships, and wraparound support, the program demonstrates how innovative collaboration between universities and employers can benefit students and businesses alike.
“CampusBridge is an impactful partnership model that addresses real business challenges while accelerating student career readiness,” Artime said. “Its early success shows what’s possible when universities and employers collaborate with intention. This is only the beginning."