S3E29 | Dartmouth College’s Joe Catrino on Life Design and the $30 Million Internship Revolution

What happens when you apply the principles of design thinking to the Ivy League career journey? In this episode of An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper talks with Joe Catrino, the Executive Director of the Dartmouth Center for Career Design.

Joe shares his "circuitous" journey from first-gen history major to ESPN and Yale admissions, eventually finding his calling in "Life Design"—a methodology pioneered at Stanford that encourages students to prototype their way through college. We dive deep into Dartmouth’s landmark $30 million internship endowment, which provides students with grants up to $6,500 to pursue unpaid roles in government, non-profits, and startups.

Beyond the funding, we discuss the "Entry-Level Paradox" and how Joe’s office is leveraging digital tools to help students visualize non-linear career paths from philosophy majors to tech leaders. Whether you are a parent worried about the 2026 job market or a higher ed leader looking to scale student outcomes, this episode provides a masterclass in modern career design.