A student will soon be named America’s Next Great Intern. After reviewing more than 280 submissions from across the country, Rubin has chosen 16 finalists who showcase the communication and critical-thinking skills essential in any internship.

Now the nation will vote, and the 1^st place student will win a $1,000 scholarship. Second places receives a $500 scholarship.

Rubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability and workplace readiness skills, hosts the competition.

Demand for interns and job applicants with “soft skills” remains a top priority across all industry sectors. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers consistently rank communication, teamwork, and critical thinking among the most sought-after qualities in new hires.

The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2026, which is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. All middle school, high school, and post-secondary CTE students were eligible.

The instructions were drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication, and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.

This year’s contest featured three categories:

1. Professional Email:Students wrote a professional email applying for a summer internship at a fictional company, FutureProof, addressed to hiring manager Ms. Amy Walker.

2. Research & Critical Thinking:Students prepared two thoughtful questions for NBA EVP Scott Kaufman-Ross based on videos from the Rubin Aspire career exploration video series.

3. Ethical Dilemma:Students responded in writing to a workplace ethics scenario involving a social media marketing dilemma.

Rubin encourages the public to vote on the national finalists at rubineducation.com. Winners will be announced on April 15, 2026. The middle school overall winner will be announced at that time as well.

“Employers often lament that students don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” says Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “For the fourth-year running, this contest demonstrates that motivated young people coast to coast are ready to add real value to any business or organization.”

2026 America’s Next Great Intern National Finalists

(listed alphabetically by last name)

Elrad Asante

12th Grade

Blaine High School

Anoka-Hennepin School District

Blaine, MN

Teacher: Ms. Holly Boisjolie

Kate Basa

12th Grade

Nacogdoches High School

Nacogdoches ISD

Nacogdoches, TX

Teacher: Ms. Anna-Lisa Wanack

Samuel Cason

PWCS Explore Program (Post-Secondary)

Prince William County Schools

Manassas, VA

Teacher: Ms. Erika Picard

Delaney Good

12th Grade

Boone High School

Boone Community School District

Boone, IA

Teacher: Ms. Bozz Bossard

Iden Guitron

11th Grade

Mid-Del Technology Center

Mid-Del School District

Midwest City, OK

Teacher: Ms. Christine Corbin

Micah Kennedy

12th Grade

Thomas A. Edison CTE High School

NYC Department of Education

New York, NY

Teacher: Mrs. Sandra Cruz

Kennedi Maddox

10th Grade

Central High School

Pike County Board of Education

Brundidge, AL

Teacher: Ms. Valerie Thornton

Carlos Mateo

12th Grade

Allen Village School

Allen Village School

Kansas City, MO

Teacher: Dr. Terri Redden

Liam McCarthy

11th Grade

Western Guilford High School

Guilford County Schools

Greensboro, NC

Teacher: Jeffrey Silverthorne

Gopal Reddy Nallamilli

9th Grade

Cox Mill High School

Cabarrus County Schools

Concord, NC

Teacher: Ms. Shauna Ward

Jewelyssa Ortega

11th Grade

Mayfield High School

Las Cruces Public Schools

Las Cruces, NM

Teacher: Gary Grammer

Om Panemangalore

11th Grade

Rick Reedy High School

Frisco ISD

Frisco, TX

Teacher: Ms. Bossard

Owen Smith

9th Grade

South Career and Technical Academy

Clark County School District

Las Vegas, NV

Teacher: Mrs. Corbin

Rhiannon Stowe

12th Grade

Lord Botetourt High School

Botetourt County Public Schools

Daleville, VA

Teacher: Ms. Katrina Kish

Reghan Williamson

12th Grade

Randall K. Cooper High School

Randall K. Cooper High School

Union, KY

Teacher: Ms. Caylen Knight

Nashawn Wimberly

9th Grade

Opelika High School

Opelika City Schools

Opelika, AL

Teacher: Mrs. Anglin