The threat of rain didn’t stop 360 interns from gathering at Coca-Cola Park on the morning of June 18 for a day of service. 
They were gathered for Intern Impact Day, an annual event coordinated by the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. Intern Impact Day is designed not only to let interns make an impact on the community, but for the community to make an impact on them.
The interns participated in community service events and had the opportunity to network and get to know the Lehigh Valley more deeply, with the hope they will want to work here after graduation.
Intern Impact Day included interns from ADP, Air Products, Barry Isett & Associates Inc., Crayola, Freshpet, Just Born Quality Confections, Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health, Mack Trucks, Olympus Corporation of the Americas, PPL Corporation, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Victaulic, and Whiting-Turner. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation was a sponsor.
Ultimately, the rain held, and the interns picked up lunches, took a group photo, and played a quick game of networking bingo before setting out to their respective non-profits to complete 19 service projects throughout the Lehigh Valley: cleaning, painting, gardening, serving food, and more.
The event is a unique talent initiative, one that offers great benefits for the interns and the community.
“Intern Impact Day is more than a volunteer project—it is an investment in the next generation of community-minded leaders,” said Karen Smith, CEO of the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. “Through hands-on service with 19 local nonprofit organizations, interns gain a deeper understanding of the issues impacting our region while building relationships, leadership skills, and a lasting connection to the Lehigh Valley.”
For many, an internship with a Lehigh Valley company is their introduction to the region. For others, it’s a return home.
This is the case for Robert Sallash, an intern with Freshpet, and Omar Elhussini, an intern with Just Born.
Sallash is a junior at New York University studying Biology with a minor in Computer Science and completing his first internship at Freshpet.
Sallash is from Emmaus and chose to come home to complete an internship, in part, so he could save on housing costs, an issue of particular concern for young people. At Freshpet, he’s excited to spend time with the regulatory team, an area of interest to him.
When Sallash thinks about where to settle in the future, affordability is top of mind. “I want to be somewhere I can afford to be,” he said. “That’s why I’ve always liked being here, because I’m close to New York and Philly, but I also don’t want to be right in the city because it’s very expensive.”
The Lehigh Valley continues to be an affordable option compared to large metros, and it presents opportunities for growth, which are of pressing importance, especially for recent college graduates concerned with a rapidly evolving job market.
“One of the biggest priorities is opportunity,” Sallash said. “Where can I find a job, that’s a really big thing. You have to search that out, too.”
There are many such opportunities in the Lehigh Valley. Both the population and economy are growing. The region is at all-time highs in economic output (Gross Domestic Product of $57.3 billion); jobs (more than 345,000); and median household income (more than $84,000, higher than the state and nation). In 2025, Lehigh Valley was ranked as the No. 1 mid-sized market in the U.S. by Site Selection magazine.
This growth has contributed to the “brain gain” happening in the Lehigh Valley. While some areas are experiencing “brain drain” as young members of the labor force move away to other regions, the Lehigh Valley is a leader in attracting young adults, who bring with them specialized skills, knowledge, and new ideas.
Both Lehigh and Northampton counties rank in the Top 10% of all U.S. counties for population growth among 18-34-year-olds. Northampton ranks first in Pennsylvania and Lehigh ranks seventh.
Elhussini, of Bethlehem, is a mechanical engineering student at Boston University and an intern with Just Born. He completed an internship in 2025 with Freshpet.
His internship at Freshpet helped Elhussini to narrow his educational focus; he declared a concentration in manufacturing when he returned to Boston University, and the manufacturing courses he took as a part of that concentration served to reinforce the knowledge he gained.
He’s back this summer, choosing to do an internship with Just Born to gain more exposure to manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley and deepen his manufacturing skill set.
Sallash and Elhussini are examples of potential boomerang residents, those who move away for school or work but return with highly valued skills and knowledge. Boomerang residents are a boon to the local economy and community; some return as experienced professionals, and because they already have a connection to the region, they integrate into the community quickly and deeply.
That’s what Intern Impact Day is all about: introducing interns from outside the region to the Lehigh Valley and reminding local interns how much the Lehigh Valley has to offer: an excellent quality of life and plentiful opportunities to grow personally and professionally. 
Interns will have more opportunities to experience the Lehigh Valley through a program by the Lehigh Valley Inter-Regional Networking and Connecting Consortium (LINC).
Its Summer Intern Series allows visiting and local interns to explore the region, build relationships, and perhaps start to see themselves here in the future. Interns will have the chance to participate in a trivia night on July 7 and a summer sendoff party on July 30 as a part of this series.
Events like Intern Impact Day and the Summer Intern Series are investments in the Lehigh Valley's talent pipeline. By helping interns build connections to local employers, communities, and one another, the event creates pathways for future talent to stay, return, and thrive in the region.
(Photos by Marco Calderon Photography)