UF Warrington launches new internship support network for students

Before interning with places like Deloitte and Wells Fargo, Kevin Bencomo (BS Management ’27) remembers a common, overarching theme:

“I don’t know what I don’t know.”

Like many students navigating their first internships and professional endeavors, Bencomo had to really push himself out of his comfort zone to understand how to “ask better questions, communicate professionally, and adapt to different work environments.”

“Internships can sometimes feel intimidating because students are trying to learn, perform well, and build relationships all at the same time,” he shared.

Bencomo truly understands that sentiment all too well. In the last three years, he has served as a Tax Accounting Intern at DISALVO & ASSOCIATES, PLLC; Discovery Intern at Deloitte; FinServ fellow; and is currently serving as a 2026 Wealth & Investment Management Summer Analyst for Wells Fargo. 

While pursuing these internships, Bencomo has also worked as a student assistant for Business Career Services, a resource hub for Warrington students seeking professional development support.

There, Bencomo met undergraduate career coach, Dani Neeld.

Like Bencomo, Neeld knows how intimidating the internship process can be for students.

“The majority of my appointments surround internship application and search strategy,” Neeld said.

After personally experiencing and witnessing the struggles associated with interning, the two devised a plan.

They decided to launch the Internship Support Network (ISN), a program designed to help students succeed during their internships by offering peer support, guidance on navigating intimidating conversations, and answers to questions they might be hesitant to ask.

“I was [inspired to start ISN] by my own internship experiences and the moments where I had to figure things out as I went,” Bencomo said. “Having a space like this would have been helpful during those times, so being able to help create that support for other students is really meaningful to me.”

For Bencomo, he attributes part of his professional and personal growth to his expansive internship experience.

“My internships have laid the foundation for my future career in wealth management by teaching me the technical skills of business and exposing me to many career professionals across many companies,” he explained.

As a career coach, Neeld highlights that internships are crucial for students, particularly as a proactive way to help students identify what they are looking for before starting a full-time role.

“Internships have become increasingly more important post-COVID, being one of the number one indicators of positive graduation outcomes; we know that when students have an internship, they are significantly more likely to receive a post-grad offer,” Neeld explained. “Internships provide students with validation that they are on the right professional path.”

The network will operate in a private LinkedIn group, run by Neeld and Bencomo.

“There will be a weekly Digest post with advice on commonly faced scenarios or things students may be encountering in their internships,” Neeld explained. “We will be encouraging the participants to interact with each other in the post comments or in new threads.”

The goal of the program is to support students and foster community with fellow interning Business Gators.

For Bencomo, that sense of community and camaraderie is invaluable. 

Bencomo learned about BCS at the Warrington Career Expo during his freshman year. 

 “I continued to go to various programs that BCS offered and felt very supported by the staff,” he said. “Being a student assistant also gave me the opportunity to be more involved with an office that had already played a role in my professional development.”

At BCS, students have access to career consulting that brings over 80 years of experience from the private sector and over 50 years from academia.

Career coaches, like Neeld, want to see students succeed.

“For students starting their first internship, firstly: congratulations! Second, be a sponge; be inquisitive and don’t be scared to hold conversations with people who don’t necessarily impact your daily routine,” she said. “People love helping young professionals and mentoring when they can, so give them the opportunity to do so.”

She encourages students to stay confident, even when it might not be easy.   

“This is a very difficult and changing market so staying confident in the face of rejection is paramount to success,” she said.

The Internship Support Network will have programming through the second week of August. 

Notably, “students don’t have to be in an internship this summer to benefit from the Internship Support Network, if they are interested in getting the advice for future terms, they are welcome to join us,” Neeld shared.

Students seeking to join the Internship Support Network can email Dani Neeld.