Summer interns strengthen HR innovation

The original cohort of interns meets with the new group of interns. (Courtesy photo from Human Resources)

What began as an opportunity to give students hands-on experience has quickly become a pipeline for developing future talent while advancing meaningful work across UTHealth Houston.

Throughout the summer, seven interns gained firsthand experience supporting projects that improve operations, strengthen employee services, and help shape the future of the university’s workforce.

Now in its second year, the UTHealth Houston Human Resources summer internship program welcomed its largest cohort yet, expanding beyond Human Resources to include Strategy and Business Development.

The interns worked across HR Operations; Executive Recruitment, Leadership, and Learning; Payroll and Benefits; Employee Assistance Programs; University Relations and Equal Opportunity; HR Innovation, Analytics, and Technology; and Strategy and Business Development.

Learning through meaningful projects

Each intern completed an individual project designed to strengthen professional skills while addressing real organizational needs.

Projects included developing resources for new employee orientation, creating data dashboards to support recruiting efforts, improving HR processes, and planning major employee engagement initiatives.

Among the summer’s highlights, Payroll and Benefits intern Peyton Newkirk helped lead planning and development for the annual benefits fair. HR Innovation, Analytics, and Technology intern Christine Baticados designed recruitment dashboards to support internal leadership, while HR Operations intern Erik Pantoja developed a comprehensive orientation packet and policy source identification process for new employees.

The hands-on projects gave interns the opportunity to see how their work directly supported employees and organizational priorities while building skills they will carry into their future careers.

“This internship showed me how HR supports the entire employee life cycle, from recruitment to retirement,” Baticados said. “In HR Innovation, Analytics, and Technology, I had the opportunity to help Talent Requisition leadership build a dashboard that monitors recruiter workload. The experience allowed me to collaborate with different teams and learn more about important recruitment metrics. I gained confidence in my ability to contribute meaningful work and support decision-making processes.”

For program leaders, experiences like Baticados’ reflect exactly what the internship was designed to achieve.

“As someone who began my own journey at UTHealth Houston as an intern two years ago, it has been incredibly rewarding to watch this program fully develop and continue to grow,” said Kendall Hoffman, sourcing engagement specialist. “Our internships provide much more than project experience; they offer mentorship, professional development, and exposure to a variety of career paths across the organization. Seeing our interns develop and contribute to new initiatives, while gaining confidence and building connections that help prepare them for success after graduation, has been one of the most exciting parts of this summer.”

Beyond the workplace

The internship experience extended well beyond day-to-day project work.

Throughout the summer, interns participated in professional development sessions, networking opportunities, and community service activities.

Experiences included a Texas Medical Center bus tour led by Karen Motsinger, manager of talent acquisition, where interns learned about the history and impact of both the Texas Medical Center and UTHealth Houston. They also connected with members of last year’s internship cohort, volunteered at the Houston Food Bank, attended Embark Leadership Fundamentals, supported the annual benefits fair, and participated in additional learning opportunities across the university.

Beyond expanding their knowledge of Human Resources, the experience also helped interns develop the confidence and professional skills needed to succeed in their future careers.

“During this program I learned and grew both personally and professionally,” Pantoja said. “I discovered that I could manage multiple projects at once while still delivering quality work, which strengthened my time management and organizational skills. I also improved my communication skills. Working with fellow cohort members, supervisors, and professionals across the organization taught me the importance of communicating clearly and building professional relationships.”

That personal growth has also left a lasting impression on the team members who mentor each cohort.

“My favorite moment this summer was seeing members of our first intern cohort return to share their experiences with this year’s interns,” said Katie Camp, Talent Acquisition Program lead at UTHealth Houston and architect of the internship initiative. “It was rewarding to see the lasting impact their summer with us had on their personal and professional growth.”

For Newkirk, the experience offered a new appreciation for the work that happens behind the scenes to support employees.

“One of the many things I have taken away from this internship is learning how much goes on behind the scenes in HR to support employees,” Newkirk said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on multiple projects and learn from so many different teams across the organization. One project I was especially grateful to be a part of was helping with this year’s World Class Benefits Fair. Being involved in that experience gave me the chance to see all the planning and teamwork that goes into creating a successful event for employees of UT Health Houston.”

2026 Human Resources summer interns

The 2026 cohort included:

• James Turner: Compensation, University Relations, and Equal Opportunity
• Christine Baticados: HR Innovation, Analytics, and Technology
• Peyton Newkirk: Payroll and Benefits
• Erik Pantoja: HR Operations
• Cloe Bodie: Executive Recruitment, Leadership, and Learning
• Ashleeya Ashley: Employee Assistance Programs
• Mason Hausler: Strategy and Business Development

As the program continues to grow, it creates opportunities for students to develop professionally while contributing meaningful work that supports employees across UTHealth Houston. By pairing hands-on projects with mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement, the internship program helps prepare the next generation of professionals while strengthening the university’s mission.