Who We Are
Discovery Internships is powered by the expertise and experience of two leading summer program providers, Musiker Summer Discovery and Dream Careers. Summer Discovery has directed award-winning programs for high school students for over 40 years. Dream Careers is the leading provider of college internship programs worldwide, and has placed more than 10,000 interns over the past decade.
What is Discovery Internships
Discovery Internships, formerly Career Explorations, is dedicated to helping students stand out and take control of their futures. Our customized internship programs provide life changing experiences for students at a pivotal time in their life. Whether you are a high school student looking to gain clarity on college choices or fields of potential study or just looking for a meaningful summer in one of the greatest cities in the world, you’ve come to the right place.
What We Do
Since 2002, Discovery Internships has helped motivated students make more informed decisions about their future by exploring a career interest through a customized professional internship.
The Discovery Internships program is an all-inclusive summer internship experience. In addition to access to hands-on, career-focused learning opportunities, participants explore and live in an exciting city. Our programs feature a safe and fun living and learning environment based in a college residence hall. A meal plan, 24-hour staff supervision and mentoring, and a host of cultural, recreational, and other community events and excursions around the city are all included.
Our participants receive access to supplementary professional development workshops that enhance the internship learning experience and help students excel in both the college classroom and the workplace. Students receive academic credit for their internship and completion of coursework from New York University (NYU).
Today, the Discovery Internships program is provided in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and London. Discovery Internships receives applications from high school students in nearly every state in the U.S. and just as many countries.
Our mission is enabling students from around the world to explore their future through dyanmic and experiential career-focused programs.
Our History
In 2002, the first U.S. internship summer program for high school students, Career Explorations, was founded and held its inaugural program in New York City. Participants in the Career Explorations program were placed in impactful internships and provided with all of the support services needed to excel at their internship – housing in a college residence hall, a meal plan, mentorship, staff supervision, a vibrant social community, and cultural enrichment. During that first summer, it was clear that the Career Explorations experience was unique and powerful. Enrollment in the program blossomed over subsequent summers and Career Explorations expanded from New York to Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Each summer, Career Explorations provided summer internship programs to hundreds of students from dozens of countries.
In 2010, Career Explorations joined together with two leading summer program providers -- Musiker Summer Discovery and Dream Careers -- to form Discovery Internships. With Summer Discovery’s four decades of pre-college summer programs expertise and Dream Careers ten years of college internship placement prowess, Discovery Internships is, without question, the finest career-focused summer program for high school students in the world.
The Discovery Internships Team
Bob MusikerExecutive Director
A founder of Summer Discovery, Bob earned his BA in Political Science at Colgate University, studied communications at UCLA, debating & literature at Cambridge and music at the University of Madras, India.
Jimmy MusikerExecutive Director
A founder of Summer Discovery, he has traveled and studied all over the world, including Asia, India, & Cambridge University in England. Jim earned his BA in Political Science from Hobart College.
Jeff SharpeExecutive Director
Jeff is the former VP of Career Explorations and now serves as an Executive Director of Discovery Internships. Jeff has over a decade of professional experience in the education industry. He has a BA from Bucknell University and an MA from Dartmouth College.
Wil Burns-GarciaDirector of Operations
Wil was born in Puerto Rico, raised in Evanston, Illinois and earned his BS in Economics and Teacher’s Certificate from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Aviva VikstromDirector
Aviva has previous experience developing and managing young adult education programs for George Washington University, REI, and the Seattle, WA School District. Aviva earned a B.A. summa cum laude from GWU and is the former Operations Director at Career Explorations.
Todd AronsonInternship Coordinator
Todd previously worked with Career Explorations for 7 years, having been a student advisor their inaugural summer in NYC. He has worn many hats, including Director, Internship Coordinator, and Advisor, to name a few. Todd has a B.A. from Ithaca College and a M.Ed. from Boston University.
Carly BukzinInternship Coordinator
Carly is a former Career Explorations participant and, later, employee. Carly has interned with more than a five different companies including NBC and E! Entertainment. She graduated from Indiana University with a major in communications.
Aaron CocjinInternship Coordinator
Aaron graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in Communications, completing 4 internships. He is an alumnus of the Dream Careers program. Prior to working for Dream careers, Aaron worked as a professional recruiter placing individuals in full-time jobs.
Kelvin PittsInternship Coordinator
Kelvin earned his BA in Political Communication from Ohio University. He is an alumnus of the Dream Careers program and former account manager with the technology firm CDW.
Sarah ViskovichInternship Coordinator
Sarah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a BS in Public Relations. She is an alumnus of the Dream Careers program.
Neal ChervinDirector of Enrollment
Neal earned his BA in Communications at Queens College, NY; Certification in College Counseling, UC San Diego & has traveled extensively within US and overseas.
Shari SiegelPersonnel Director
Shari is in charge of hiring several hundred staff each summer for our programs. For 10 years, she taught in Rochester, New York. She earned her BA at SUNY Cortland and her MA at SUNY Brockport.
Ron JonesProgram Director
Ron received his BA from the University of Maryland in Criminology and was a fraud investigator and security consultant in the insurance industry.
Sam BereyProgram Director
Sam graduated with a BS in History and Social Studies Education from NYU. He lives in Costa Rica, where he teaches English and Social Studies at The Country Day School.
Jonathan ShulmanProgram Director
Jonathan earned his BA at Tufts University and his MA at King’s College London. He is now the Chairman of the history department at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego.
Ann CarmenProgram Director
Ann earned her BA in Communications from Western Kentucky University and her Masters in Education/Student Affairs Administration from Clemson University.
Lori WidelecAssociate Director and Recruiting Director
Lori earned her BA in Psychology from SUNY Stony Brook and is currently pursuing a Master's in Psychology at Hofstra University.
Helene MichaelAssociate Director
Helene earned her BA in Communications from Dean College and has a lifetime of experience in the Music industry.
Allison PendletonAssociate Director
Allison earned her BA in Political Science from Colgate University and a Master's in Early Childhood and Childhood Education from Fordham University.
Audrey PalmenProgram Consultant
Audrey earned her BA in Communications from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.