National Intern Day is here! This is a day to celebrate the important contributions that interns make to their respective workplaces. We are taking this moment to spotlight Hope students who are participating in these opportunities, so check out their work!
Allison Harvey
Gentex Corporation – Talent Development Team Intern
Allison is on the Talent Development Team at Gentex where she is assisting with leading orientation each week along with training and development plans for current employees.
“I have learned how important it is to be careful as you navigate between working with cooperate and with the manufacturing staff. I have to be careful about how I portray myself to both different groups. When you land your internship, just be yourself! It is also important to just have fun with it, but also important to build your network.”
Eric Hoogland
Farm Bureau Insurance – Marketing and Sales Intern
His Marketing and Sales internship at the Jared Kimber Agency, Farm Bureau Insurance has equipped Eric in several ways.
“Learning how to work in an office environment alongside a diverse range of individuals is extremely valuable. This summer, I have strengthened my communication and sales skills through a variety of projects. Farm Bureau and Jared have taught me how to truly care for customers. The opportunity to shadow Jared and meet with clients has provided me firsthand experience on how to make sure clients are not just insured but also protected.
One project I am most excited about is creating a professional video for the agency. I was able to use the skills I learned at Hope in film to tell Jared’s story to his current and future clients. I was the sole screenwriter, director, videographer, and editor. This project challenged me in several ways and strengthened my film skills. I was not expecting to be producing videos this summer, but I was presented the opportunity and jumped right at it.”
Ethan Larson
NOW Foods – Human Resources Internship
Ethan’s focus in his Human Resource Internship has been on exposure in developing sourcing and recruiting skills with various responsibilities, such as coordinating a job fair event.
If you haven’t done an internship yet and are looking into doing one, Ethan has some advice to keep in mind, “Networking is crucial, establish connections anywhere you can. This is one trait I had to learn to understand, develop, and work at. Don’t hesitate to get out of your comfort zone. Go out of your way and take initiative, to build intentional relationships with intelligent people. People who you see can become potential mentors during your course in life. Set aside time to make the extra effort to keep in touch, sustain relationships. Reach out and check in with friends from high school, coaches, coworkers, etc.”
Justin Kneeshaw
Grand Hotel Mackinac Island – Summer Intern
“At the Grand Hotel I have been learning about customer service in the hotel management industry as well as accounting skills that will continue to benefit me throughout my education and future career. Serving guests as a front office intern in a renowned top quality hotel can often have a lot of pressure but it is teaching me to deal with situations in a well composed yet quick and efficient way. One thing that has been interesting to work on is helping to organize registration for groups and conferences coming to the Hotel as well as working on correcting billing information for guests at the hotel. This internship so far has been incredible, interesting, and insightful.”
Macy Brown
GreenMark Equipment – Marketing Intern
Jeff Bikus
Gallagher – National Risk Control Analytics Intern
Jeff landed a National Risk Control Analytics Internship this summer where he is giving presentations on both general and industry/client specific topics.
“The most important aspect that has been stressed to us time and time again has been to network. Building a strong foundational network is absolutely essential in every successful business career. We are allowed the opportunity to meet all types of people, including some of the top executives! As a company with over 35,000 employees, the opportunities to network are endless.
If you are able to be an intern, go for it! The knowledge, networking, and experiences you gain really are invaluable. After completing an internship, you will understand exactly how your studies apply and get insights into how real world companies operate!”
Sydney Burns
Royal Technologies – Accounting Intern
“My internship has been a great exposure to the field of corporate accounting. It has been really cool to see the financial ins and outs of a manufacturing business. This was not ever a path that I was considering but I think it is definitely an avenue that I will keep open for my future!
I would definitely recommend looking early and often for internships. I was lucky that Professor LaBarge showed this internship for me because the post was taken down soon after I applied. I would also tell students to be open to paths that aren’t necessarily exactly what your major is or what you are going for because you may find something that you really like!”
Kylie Galloway
Guinness World Records – Public Relations Intern
Kylie’s internship in Public Relations has her doing so much more than she expected. With the opportunity to be involved with various PR matters, her work includes research and analysis, development of coverage reportsm media lists, and pitch letters, as well as building press packets and writing profiles for record holders.
“I was surprised to learn that the Tallest stack of M&Ms is 5, the Largest serving of pancakes is 13,000, and the Most hula hoops caught in one minutes is 245!
Yes, that sounds like trivia and it is, but the most surprising thing I’ve learned is how much fun it is that each day is not the same and how many different things unfold in one day. To put it in short, the most surprising thing I’ve learned in my internship is different each day! Sometimes, I think the stereotype of the “real world” is that it isn’t fun. I love that everything and everybody at GWR is so enjoyable. It also helped me learn something surprising that I may be interested in the future: talent management. I knew this internship would entail building relationships with the record holders, but I didn’t expect to love it so much!
My advice is to take advantage of every opportunity possible because you never know who you’ll meet, what you’ll be asked to do, or where that one opportunity may lead you. If you get invited to sit in on a meeting, go! If you get asked to do a particular project, do it! If you are invited to meet someone, meet them! You might not get those opportunities again, so take advantage of the opportunities in the moment!”
Rylee Thayer
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa – Marketing Intern
“My internship has required me to step completely out of my comfort zone, what with exploring the hospitality industry for the first time and relocating for the summer to Traverse City. It’s allowed me to take the lead on self-curated projects like an end of summer intern highlight video and has exposed me to the many pieces that go into marketing for an organization as large as a Resort. I’ve enjoyed planning promotional projects for events like Cherry Festival and the Michigan Open, along with working closely with partners like the Traverse City Pit Spitters. The most surprising thing I’ve learned in my internship is how small the world of marketing truly is. It has amazed me the number of people I’ve met already. I know that meeting so many professionals and entrepreneurs up here will help me immensely when I graduate.”
Cassandra Hogle
Bethany Christian Services – BSW Intern
“My internship is preparing me for my work experience because I am doing a lot of client summaries. This is beneficial for me because I am learning the precision and specific wording of how to successfully document things appropriately. I also get to sit in on client sessions which allows me to see how a therapist interacts with the client and what procedures and models are being used. My main projects are monthly reports and closing reports.
The most surprising thing I have learned is that there is a lot more hurt in my community than I would have ever thought. There are things that go on in people’s lives that are so hard to listen to. It is literally all around me. You never EVER know what someone is going through, so you must always be kind and willing to know someone before judging them.”
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Other Hope Interns are also working extremely hard this summer and they have offered some advice about interning.
“Aim for the sky. After interning at the White House, I decided to pick up some part-time gigs around Holland while still in school. I managed to land three internships, all extremely part-time, and all were in different industries but surrounded the marketing sector. I loved each one for different reasons, and I preferred it over working a 9-5 my whole spring/summer.” – Megan Summerfield, Intern at Cento Anni
“The best time to look for an internship was yesterday, but the second best time is right now. Look for something that interests you, and don’t wait to apply, the spots always fill up quicker than you think!” – Max Zimmermann, Intern at American Axle & Manufacturing
“Try to find an internship!! I have had the best experience so far with learning new skills and getting real hands on experience from a business. Plus, this helps get your name out there and lets you start thinking about what you do and do not want for your future career.
When you do get an internship, try to learn as much as you can while you’re there, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.” – Madelyn Velting, Marketing Intern at Rivershores Hardwood Flooring
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We are proud of the Hope students that have taken the leap this summer and participated in an internship and we give them a huge round of applause for all their hard work. Are you interested in interning? Swing over to Handshake and sign up for an Internship Search appointment.