Looking for firmware/hardware internship referrals

Asking for a talented friend and classmate, who's been having trouble getting his foot in the door. He's very competent, passionate about firmware/hardware (bought his own FPGA for fun) and easy to work with. He goes to a non-targetted university and unfortunately has a genetic condition that caused his hair to turn partially gray at 23 making him look 15 years older. It's difficult to convince hiring managers to give him a chance giving the circumstances, but I believe he would be a great asset to any team. Help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks