MRC's Summer Intern Program Boasts Continued Success

After such a good experience hosting Hallie, 2024’s MRC Summer Intern, the organization decided to do it again in 2025. After sifting through multiple applicants, the        decision was made to extend the opportunity to Alison MacLeod.

 Alison was heading into her junior year of Pre-Med at Baylor University when she stumbled across the program. With a degree plan that was already aligning with elder care, it seemed to be a good fit. “I have my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and have worked as a geriatrics medical assistant, so I’d seen the clinical side of things, but I was really interested in how the business side functions. This internship with MRC let me put those pieces together,” said MacLeod.

 Alison now admits that she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the experience which is why the first day was so shocking as her preconceived notions were immediately shattered. “I was expecting to walk into communities where residents were in their rooms and there wasn't really much going on in the buildings,” she explained. “But I was really surprised by how outgoing and active everyone was. The residents were volunteering in the community, going to museums and teaching at local colleges. It was a change in expectation for sure.”

 Also surprising to Alison was how welcoming everyone was. “My day-to-day was a lot of socializing, getting to know the residents and staff members at the different MRC communities. There was a group of ladies at Stevenson Oaks that invited me to sit with them at dinner, and it was like they were all my grandmas, taking me in. It was a really touching moment to feel so welcomed by the residents when I was just an intern doing my job,” Alison recalled.

 While Alison is still undecided on her med school specialty, her summer at MRC has given her a fresh perspective to take back to school. “It does give me a greater understanding of the geriatric population and what life looks like for them, and that matters so much because it plays such a key part in their health,” said Alison.

 If you or someone you know might be interested in the Summer 2026 Internship Program, contact Kelly Tittel at ktittel@mrcaff.org.