University programs that place students as interns at community organizations often use models that prioritize the needs of the university and the student. Driven by the academic calendar, community partners work to onboard and train students at the start of a semester, only to have the semester come to an end when the student is best positioned to support their work. Based on community partner feedback, the Tisch Scholars program at Tufts has implemented a series of strategies to try to better meet the needs of community organizations in our student placements. This session uses storytelling, survey data, and the experiences of three students to share what we've learned and invites feedback from participants.