Kim Coogan presented the paper ‘A schema theory perspective on the psychological contracting processes of interns over time’ on behalf of her co-authors and Maynooth University School of Business supervisors Dr. Marian Crowley-Henry and Dr. Jean Cushen at the Academy of Management (AOM) 2022 conference in Seattle, USA, on 6th August 2022. The paper was chosen as one of the ‘best papers’ (top 10% of submissions to the conference); in the Management Education Division and was published in the conference proceedings. The research explores the evolving expectations and real lived experiences of undergraduate students over a one-year period as they enter the working world and then return for the final year of full-time education. Kim is commencing her final year of the PhD programme and has recently been awarded the prestigious National University of Ireland (NUI) Denis Phelan award which is granted in conjunction with the NUI Travelling Studentships. She has also held the Maynooth University Doctoral Research Scholarship and the Maynooth University Graduate Teaching Scholarship.