Corinne Edwards

From gaining valuable work experience, giving yourself an edge in the job market, developing and refining skills, to networking and forming important connections, the benefits of an internship for a college student are seemingly endless.

Corinne Edwards, a 2015 graduate of Jamestown High School, will have the opportunity to reap all those benefits starting later this month, when she begins her seasonal internship with the Buffalo Bills’ athletic training staff.

Edwards has had a strong interest in athletic training for quite some time.

In 2017, she graduated from Jamestown Community College with an associates degree in physical education. She interned on the Jayhawks’ athletic training staff and even traveled to Ireland to gain more knowledge in the field.

Recently, she earned her bachelor’s degree in health promotion from Daemen College. And presently, she is a part of Daemen College’s master’s program in athletic training.

“I love the fast-paced lifestyle (of athletic training) every day when you go in,” she stressed. “You have an idea of what you are going to do, but things change so quickly. And you never really have time to just sit, and I would not say just relax, but you never have time to get bored. … It is always moving, and I like that you never know if there is going to be an injury that day and you never know what that injury is going to be. So, it kind of keeps you on your toes. You do not really have time to forget what you have learned.”

Through her work and studies at Daemen, Edwards had the chance to interview with the Bills for the internship during a phase of the team’s rookie minicamp back in May.

It is obvious that she made quite the impression.

“This has always been the end goal,” she said. “Actually having it is kind of surreal. … You have to show that you are there to grind it out. (That) you can do anything, that you are up for anything, and you are willing to do everything. … I told myself that if I do not get it, it was a really cool field trip. They fed me, I saw the stadium, it was awesome. … And then when I got the call, I was completely shocked. It was a surreal moment because I had no idea that I was going to get (the internship).”

Edwards stated that her daily tasks will vary but to start, they may include things like stocking Gatorade cabinets and setting up taping tables before moving on to more advanced responsibilities.

“The first couple weeks I would say, you are kind of grinding it out so you can have the chance to tape an athlete, to do ultrasound, to kind of do rehab or recovery,” she explained. “(To start) you are kind of showing what you can do by working really hard. … You are with the athletes every day. So, seeing Josh (Allen) every day, (Stefon) Diggs every day, it has to become a normal thing so I am trying to like get the excitement out while I am home so I can actually be cool, calm and collected.”

When it comes down to it, the experience will give Edwards the chance to learn a significant volume of information that will only help her as she starts her career.

“I never really thought I would get the opportunity to have this experience,” she said. ” … I hope to absorb it like a sponge when I am there and take in everything. But also, at the same time take a step back and say, ‘wow I am here.’ … I am working with the Bills. Even if it is just for a season, this is insane. … The amount of materials they have to cover (athletes), to treat (athletes), it is so advanced. … Even if I end up at a high school, or a clinic, I will know how to use the highest grade of material.”