Building tomorrow’s professionals

Terriers share about their time working student internships at BU, and how their experiences helped prepare them for their careers.

By Krysti Chen (COM’26) and Gillian Mahoney | Published May 2026

James Trubiano (CAS’13,MET’27) initially took a job as a student caller in Boston University’s Telefund program during his freshman year to help pay for everyday expenses. Sure enough, he found steady employment and made enough money to stretch through each month. But he didn’t expect his internship to become more than just a paycheck. Eventually, it turned into a lasting passion that helped him discover a new career path.

“I was only at BU because of financial aid scholarships, and I needed to work there in order to get food, weekend money, and other fun stuff,” Trubiano recalls. “But I fell in love with fundraising and the Advancement department, and I learned about ways I could help future BU students through my work.”

The Telefund program, which is run out of BU’s Student Philanthropy Center (SPC), offers student callers the opportunity to engage with the larger BU community through inspiring annual giving participation and building relationships with donors.

Trubiano, who majored in history and sociology, felt that his time working at Telefund was a way for him to develop professionally outside of his classes. The program gave him valuable leadership experience as well as a crash course in fundraising and plain old people skills.

“I learned not to be afraid to ask folks for something,” Trubiano says as he remembers his numerous phone calls. It was scary to pick up the phone for his first few calls, but the kindness and generosity of the BU community gave him confidence.

While he enjoyed the thrill of events such as the “Tele-lympics,” a challenge in which student callers competed to raise the most money of the semester, Trubiano loved chatting with alumni about Terrier pride and making a positive impact for the University.

“Even if I didn’t get a donation, I still made a connection with them,” he says.

It was this knack for building relationships that paved the way for Trubiano’s rise from student caller, to supervisor, to a senior supervisor role that entailed leading professional development programs for his peers. And it eventually landed him a full-time job a few years after he graduated.

After being away from the BU sphere for some time, Trubiano received a call one day from a Telefund student caller asking him to give. After swapping Telefund stories, he learned that the student philanthropy manager role was open.

He dropped everything. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. Maybe this is my calling. Maybe it’s time to come back and help out the University.’ I applied that day.”

Now, Trubiano serves as the associate director of annual giving in the Advancement department and manages the Student Philanthropy Center. He mentors student callers and supervisors and provides them with guidance to help them advance in their leadership roles and future careers. It’s rewarding for him to give advice to students who are on journeys similar to his own.

Looking back, Trubiano reflects on how his internship broadened his horizons. “Student jobs can really help you learn about different professions and ways to apply skillsets that you’re developing as a student that you may never have thought of before.”

Communicating with confidence

On top of juggling classes and her social life, Maddie Theingi held multiple student jobs at BU, working in the Telefund program and as an alumni operations office assistant.

“Working at Telefund was actually my first job,” Theingi says. “When I was looking for jobs at BU, I wanted to find something that was similar to what I wanted to do in the future.”

She worked her way up to being a Telefund student supervisor and an alumni operations student manager. Theingi was dedicated to training younger students, and developed strong leadership skills throughout her BU career. She cites her go-getter spirit as the main factor that propelled her growth.

“People like to see you consistently stick with the job,” she recalls. “It wasn’t about you working as a student caller in the beginning, but that you were able to get promoted. So people want to see that trajectory, because you were able to advance.”

Theingi knows that working with seasoned professionals can be intimidating for many students. However, her internships provided her with the opportunity to refine her interpersonal skills and gain confidence in communicating effectively with senior leadership—something she would rely on every day in her career ahead.

Theingi, who studied finance and information systems at Questrom School of Business, currently works as a financial analyst at Agero. Since she works on a small team, she collaborates closely with senior-level colleagues.

“The most important thing I learned was communication skills. In alumni relations, you see higher-end people a lot,” she says. “There are so many directors, and you also talk to vice presidents and high-level donors. And in my current job, I work with the C-Suite. I think now, having that experience was really helpful to me because I know how to communicate with higher-level stakeholders.”

Tight-knit bonds that last

Tee Kiengsiri’s (COM’25) days are a whirlwind as he creates buzzworthy video campaigns, proposes media plans, and writes website copy as a business development and account director at the advertising agency CHANNEL338. But Kiengsiri is no stranger to the fast-paced world of digital marketing, having pursued his master’s degree in advertising and worked as a social media and video intern at BU.

As an intern, Kiensgiri researched social media trends, brainstormed video concepts, and shot and edited content. One memorable project involved working with the Center for Brain Recovery, where he shot a video interview with director Dr. Swathi Kiran about the Center’s initiatives and research on neurological disorders.

Amidst the hustle of engaging audiences across platforms, Kiengsiri’s internship also allowed him to experience the routine of a full-time job in an office environment before entering the post-graduation workforce.

“I treated this job almost like a 9-5, so it prepared me for a real job as well,” he says. “Responsibilities wise, it was like a stepping stone. You start small and then you learn more things.”

On top of learning to communicate and collaborate in a professional setting, Kiengsiri also developed valuable connections through his position. He fostered a close bond with his supervisor, Samuel Mauri, assistant director of social media in Advancement.

“I still think Sam was one of, if not the best boss I’ve ever had, and I genuinely had a great time working at BU because of him and other people on the team,” Kiengsiri recalls. “I still keep in contact with him now and then.”

For Trubiano, Theingi, and Kiengsiri, their experiences in their respective roles has helped prepare them for their careers. From growing professionally, to gaining confidence in a variety of skills, and expanding their networks, interning at BU was a vital stepping stone for each Terrier to become the professionals they are today.