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Table of Contents The Success Story of a Nichols Alum, Allison Souza
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RJ Travisano, Mohegan Sun Security
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Samantha MacMillan, WB Mason
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Kim Whalen, The Bolton Police Department
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Jonathan Casado, Kiss 108 Boston
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Julia Hartley, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
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Cody Gondyke, Devereux
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Christine Needle, Sherwin Williams
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Tyler Shute, The Worcester Sharks
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Shelby Aminti, Avery Dennison
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Nichole Corwin, Plymouth District Courthouse
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Abby Gould, Willowbend and The American Red Cross
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Manny Goncalves, TD Bank
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Alyssa Bufis, Appreciation Events
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Geoff Iadarola, The Bolton Police Department
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Brianna Jones, Morgan Stanley
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Colleen Coleman, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
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Marcus Leary, The Worcester Sharks
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Felicia Guzman, The DCU Center
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Hilary Mason, Wachusett Regional High School
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Kerry Postale, Blackstone Valley Commerce
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The Success Story of a Nichols Alum, Allison Souza (2013) performed some of his bike stunts to a field house packed with students, most of them freshmen. Just imagine getting on a bike at age six, practicing and creating your own stunts, and using those stunts to build a successful career.
“Really?!” that was Nichols graduate, class of 2013, Alison Souza’s response when professional stunt biker Chris Poulos offered her a job as his assistant. You may be thinking, what does a professional stunt biker need an assistant for? Alison will respond by listing her daily job responsibilities; scheduling, social media, video editing. “Pretty much anything he needs done I do it.” Alison’s time at Nichols, as a blogging and an ARC tutor, as well as an off campus editorial internship all helped her land the perfect job after graduation. In order to understand how cool Alison’s job actually is you have to know a little bit about her boss, Chris Poulos. Chris has traveled the world as a professional stunt biker, competing in 413 contests and winning 85 first place titles. Now in his forty’s he is traveling the country as a motivational speaker and stunt rider and working on writing a book. According to chrispoulos.com Chris and Alison bring his presentations to about 150 locations each year. It was a speaking engagement that brought them to Nichols campus on September 24. Chris gave his speech and
worked with well-known clients including Raj from the Big Bang Theory and the cast of MTV’s the Buried Life. And to think Alison almost backed out of this opportunity. “I was scared to live in D.C. where I didn’t know anyone. My mom told me, Alison you’re going and you’ll thank Now back to Alison, who is me for it later.” Mother knows best now responsible for helping Chris Alison tells the field house full of expand his business through advertis- students laughing. ing and marketing. When approaching graduation last spring Alison had Alison’s internship experiapplied to jobs she was interested in ence, although important, was not the and jobs she had no interest in but only thing that helped her score her was simply qualified for. “I was current job. She was also a writing about to graduate from college, I tutor at the ARC, and a paid internwould be unemployed and had a ship blogging for the Bison Chronihefty car payment. Yeah I was freak- cles. Alison also gave credit for her ing out.” All of the jobs she had apsuccess to the PDS program at Nichplied to seemed to be dead ends, only ols. “Not many schools have these one leading to a call for an interview. resources, so make the most of It was Alison’s mom who found the them,” she told a group of freshmen posting for Chris’ job opening, telling honor students. She credited the proher daughter she found a job that gram for teaching her the interview would be a perfect fit for her. Alison and resume building skills that helped remembers applying for the position her land her job. “You can complain thinking “what did I have to lose?” about PDS as much as you want now, but after graduation you’ll see how Out of the 50 applicants for important it really was.” the position and the 30 interviews Alison’s story is one that Chris conducted Alison stood out. shows how scary it can be to know Chris said “I interviewed her and that graduation is looming in the near knew right away she was the one I future and jobs in many areas are wanted to hire.” What was it that scarce. Through her internship with made Alison stand out from the the Washington Center and her time crowd? Both she and Chris agree that at Nichols she learned how to market it was her internship experience that herself and her creative talents. Alreally made her perfect for the posi- ison didn’t give up on her job search tion. Alison was accepted into the and with hard work and determinaWashington Center internship protion she landed a position that fits her gram during her junior year. She personality and her abilities perfectly. spent a semester in Washington D.C. And really, how cool is her job?! working as an editorial intern; writing for the website, maintaining social media pages, graphic design and search engine optimization. She
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RJ Travisano, Mohegan Sun Security There is a lot that goes on behind the haze of second hand smoke at the casino. Nichols College senior RJ Travisano was given the opportunity to see the workings of the Casino from a new perspective through his summer 2013 internship with Internal Security at Mohegan Sun. Throughout the summer RJ learned not only about what it takes to run a casino safely but also how the security team works together to ensure the safety of both themselves and patrons.
“Make sure you’re doing something you want to do, and always make How does a college student find an internship opportunity like this one? In RJ’s case networking worked in his favor. After telling Professor Charbonneau, head of the Nichols College Criminal Justice Department that he did not want to do a “normal” police department internship she made a call to someone in her network that works at Mohegan Sun. One successful interview later RJ was offered the internship position as part of the internal security team. Although the position, much like other internships, was unpaid the amount of knowledge and networking opportunities RJ gained was well worth it. Some events RJ experienced through his internship included detaining a panhandler, seeing a person ejected for stealing a tip cup, and recognizing counterfeit money. Working with the internal security team at Mohegan sun RJ
learned the ins and outs of the casino. An important part of his job was “learning the language and codes the officers used in their daily routines,” as well as learning the different locations and zones around the casino and their importance. Throughout the summer RJ shadowed a number of different members of the security team, many of them being either exmilitary or ex-police force. One of the more exciting things RJ had the opportunity to do was work the “swing shift” meaning he was on duty until midnight, the busy hours for the casino. Considering most special events occur at night this is an important time where a variety of different things could happen. RJ worked the swing shift on a night that a Glo event was going on. Glo is a popular event among young adults that, in this case, involved a pool party with brightly lit colors. On the same night there was also a popular concert and the regular Mist dance party occurring. Because there was so much going on in one night RJ experienced how important it was to tighten up security. Celebrity appearances, including the Playboy Playmate of the Year, at the Glo party needed extra security, crowd control was necessary for the concert and of course the table games needed the necessary protection as well. One of the most “interesting” times RJ had over the summer was the night that he worked the grave shift. For this shift he worked with dispatch, which in a sense controls the way the casino works. Almost everything security does must first go through dispatch. Access too many different areas of the casino must be given by dispatch. RJ learned that it is essentially the job of
dispatch to make sure security and in turn the casino itself runs smoothly. Working with the Mohegan Sun internal security team gave RJ the experience of working with a security team that handles a number of different tasks, all with high levels of importance. Depending on the day of the week the security team consisted of anywhere from around 30 to 60 officers and supervisors dispersed around the casino areas. He worked closely with supervisors, and investigators on cases of cheating, counterfeit money and drug trafficking. RJ learned that some drug traffickers use the casino as a way to trade “dirty” money for “clean” money. Working with internal security gave him a greater understanding of the Criminal Justice field, there are many jobs other than police work that many students are not aware of. RJ’s tip for other students looking to do an internship, “make sure you’re doing something you want to do, and always make sure you’re having fun with it.”
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Samantha MacMillan, WB Mason
Ever wonder what it would be like to star in an episode of The Office? This is what Nichols junior and Math major, Sam MacMillan, compares the environment of the WB Mason corporate office to. “I swear they got the idea for that show from WB Mason. It was much more relaxed than I expected.” Sam spent her summer interning at the company’s corporate office located in Brockton MA, living what she refers to as “the cubicle life.”
majority of Sam’s internship responsibilities included office work; accounts receivable, checking data, Excel sheets, and shredding paper. “I learned that the cube life is not for me!” She hopes to find a job in which she will be out in the field, not trapped in a cubicle for hours every day. Another important point was to “learn as you go.” In other words, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes your tasks won’t be written down for you in black and white. It seems Sam’s ability to ask questions worked in her benefit, she was offered the opportunity to Sam insists that networking played a role in both return to WB Mason after graduation. getting the position and succeeding once she was there. She heard about the position through a friend of her dad, Sam feels that the PDS program prepared her not who works for the company. After a relaxed interview only for her internship but also for the future. “The portexperience Sam took the opportunity to talk to employees folio really helps, even if you don’t bring it to an interand even got to meet with the Chief Financial Advisor, view. It helps you remember examples of your experisomeone she says will be a great networking source in ence.” Through her internship experience Sam has also the future. “He left soon after I started there, but I would learned that a career in a cubicle would not suit her. Inlove to find him on Linked-In.” ternships can be a big help in determining what career paths you would like to try in the future, and those you “What I learned in PDS really helped me as far would prefer to avoid. as the interview process went” Sam says. Although she “What I learned in did not bring her portfolio to the interview she was able to remember the work she had included and used examPDS really helped ples when answering questions. Doing a little bit of reme as far as the insearch on the company beforehand also helped her prepare answers to questions she may not otherwise have terview process been ready for. “My Effective Speaking class also helped because it made me more confident in my answers.” The
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Kim Whalen, The Bolton Police Department High speed car chases, drug busts and bloody crime scenes are what the mass media has led us to believe life is like in a day on the police force. Over the summer of 2013 Nichols College student Kim Whalen was given the opportunity to see that, in smaller cities, the life of a police officer is not quite so dramatic. Kim spent a large part of her summer interning with the Bolton Police Department, earning credits towards her degree in Criminal Justice Management. Kim, who also held two other summer jobs, one in retail and one as a bank teller, said that she landed her internship simply by “being in the right place at the right time.” While sitting in program chair Professor Charbonneau’s office, they noticed an internship opportunity with the Bolton Police Department, whom the college has worked closely with on internships over the years. Kim decided to apply for the position, getting her internship done prior to her junior year. Because the college has such a close relationship with the Bolton Police Department Kim’s interview process was more laid back.
with Chief Alfano and she was offered the spot. “It didn’t really seem One case Kim does rememlike there were many people fighting ber as being “something you would for the position. I got lucky,” she told see on TV” was a visit with a man me. who was a hoarder. One of the first things Kim noticed was the smell Interning with the police de- “when we got out of the car I could partment gave Kim the opportunity to smell the house from a distance.” She job shadow both officers and the recalls counting seven cats in the chief of police regularly. She spent a man’s yard, as well as a dog that had majority of her time shadowing the fleas and was missing patches of fur. chief, both in the office and going out Perhaps it was, in part, this experion calls. Even in a small town like ence that has given Kim the desire to Bolton there is never a lack of work work for the humane society in the for the officers, especially the chief. future. “This internship has definitely Through this experience Kim learned given me a positive view of the field. that the chief of police is responsible I love animals, so I would love to for many serious, sometimes boring work with a K-9 unit or the humane tasks such as creating budgets, ad- society one day.” Interning with the ministrative paperwork, as well as planning and attending town meetings.
The most exciting part of Kim’s experience was shadowing officers on different calls, from routine traffic stops to car accidents and a possible suicide case. One traffic accident that stuck out in Kim’s mind was a hit and run done by a tractor trailer truck. She was also tested through the case of a possible suicide. Once at the scene, which happened to be on a very narrow road, Kim was responsible for directing traffic in order to allow the emergency vehicles to get through. It was when one of the officers told Kim that she may have to enter the house and talk to the suicidal woman, because she was the only other female on the scene that Kim began to worry. “I’m not an officer. I wouldn’t have known what to say to this woman in this situation,” Kim told me. Fortunately, to everyone’s relief, the woman decided to There was really no formal interview cooperate with the officers and left process, just a casual conversation the house unharmed.
Bolton Police Department gave Kim the hands on opportunity to work in the field she someday hopes to be a part of, something she would not have gotten simply from attending college classes. When asked if she has any tips for other students Kim said, “Try and get your internship done a year early, and do as many as you can.” The more internship opportunities you take during your college career the easier it will be to narrow down what you really want to do after graduation. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see Kim starring on and episode of Animal Cops.
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Jonathan Casado, Kiss 108 Boston
Are you familiar with the music, giveaways and contests that happen on air at “Boston’s #1 Hit Music Station” Kiss 108? Chances are, being a college student in the greater Boston area, you are. This past summer Nichols senior and marketing major Jonathan Casado was given the chance to become familiar with what goes on off air and behind the scenes at the popular radio station through his internship with Clear Channel Radio Boston. Clear Channel offers internships in a variety of different departments including, programming, web design and video production, promotions and IT (www.Kiss108.com). Jonathan discovered his internship through the Kiss 108 website, where he filled out a questionnaire and application. He was contacted for an interview a week later. Although his interview process was a bit laid back Jonathan applied skills learned here at Nichols that helped him succeed, the first thing, eye contact. We learn how important eye contact is though mock interviews in Junior PDS, in some cases it can make or break an interview. The second and most important thing Jonathan learned through PDS is how to build his resume. Whether you’re looking for a full time job, part time job, or an internship your resume can be the most important and influential tool you have. In most cases a resume is the first impression an employer gets of each applicant, here at Nichols we learn how to make our resumes leave a lasting impression. Although Jonathan spent his summer working for one’s of Boston’s most popular radio stations he did not have the chance to be on air. His daily responsibilities included; updating the website, attending events, giving out tickets, breaking down setups, calling contest winners, working with the Street Team, and giving tours to visitors at the station. You may think that by working at a hit radio station he would have had the opportunity to
meet some of the artists responsible for the hit songs, “I met Jesse McCartney, but not anyone too big.” When looking back on his internship a particular story sticks in Jonathan’s mind, one involving a Taylor Swift contest and a beyond creepy fan. The contest asked participants to get friends to “like” a link for them through social media, the individual with the most “likes” would win a meet and greet with Taylor Swift at her Gillette Stadium concert. A 40 year old man named Charles beat out around 3,000 young girls, making him the contest winner. “He wanted to stroke her hair,” Jonathan remembers. Parents were in an uproar and the radio station went into crisis management, canceling the event the day before the concert. Jonathan’s resume may have helped him get his internship, but it was what he did after he was hired that had the most impact on his experience. “You have to ask questions and volunteer. Show them you want to learn.” Another important bit of advice he has for other students, be yourself both in the interview and on the job. An internship gives you the chance to learn about both yourself and the field you’re working in, what did Jonathan learn? “It’s much faster paced than school, especially that industry, and I definitely needed to be more organized.” And one of the most important things Jonathan learned through this experience, that he would like to make a career in radio production after graduation. Maybe someday we’ll hear him as the voice of a popular Boston radio station.
“You have to ask questions and volunteer. Show them you want to learn.”
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Julia Hartley, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
Imagine being a young child, living in a dirty, dingy apartment with little to no furniture and even less parental supervision. Nichols student, Julia Hartley, discovered first hand through a summer internship with CASA that this is the unfortunate way some children are forced to live. In case you were wondering, CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA is a nationwide program that trains and recruits volunteers to represent the interests of neglected children from the ages of newborn to 18 (www.casaforchildren.org). The program is mostly federally funded and has a network 933 programs. Julia worked with the program in Providence, Rhode Island. Originally Julia had wanted to pursue an internship with DCYF; however, they do not offer an internship program. She learned about the CASA program opportunity through a family friend. After emailing someone within the organization Julia received a call for an interview and after a successful interview, a call offering her the position. She went into the interview having done her research on the program, knowing that she shared many of the same values and goals that they have when it comes to helping children. Julia is a Criminal Justice Major and when asked why she chose to do an internship in social work she responded, “I know I want to help children because they can’t really help themselves.” During her time with CASA Julia learned just how much help some children need. Julia worked closely with social workers and attorneys attending family court and drug court, meeting with judges and magistrates and making home visits to neglected children. “My experience was more show and
tell than sitting behind a desk.” Julia also attended meetings at the Harmony Hill School, which provides treatment and education for children and teens in a safe and predictable environment (www.harmonyhillschool.org). Julia remembers the rewarding experience of helping one teen at Harmony. The student was a 17 year old transgender male, transitioning into a female. Both of his parents had committed suicide and he was reaching 18, the age where he would no longer be a part of the program. “We had to decide what the next step would be for him. He wouldn’t fit in with most foster family situations comfortably.” It was decided that he would be placed with a same sex couple looking to be foster parents. “It was so rewarding to know that we helped him find a place where he would be happy.” Julia also recalls the emotional experience of attending family court. The most memorable cases were those in which parents had their parental rights terminated. One such case involved a woman who had 13 children with nine different fathers. She did not have custody of any of her children at the time and was in jail for beating her husband. “She was telling the judge she cared about her children, how can you say that when you’ve lost custody of all 13 of them,” Julia questions. The woman ended up having her parental rights terminated for all of the children and was brought back to finish her jail sentence. Not exactly the happy ending the woman was hoping for, but the court does what’s in the best interest of the children. Julia called her experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate “eye opening.” She is undecided if she will pursue a job in social work after graduation, but knows that she wants to do something that will help the children who need it most. Julia learned how difficult it is to go into some of the apartments and housing situations some children live in, how emotional and angering family court can be. What did she get out of this experience? “I had to be an adult. I had to get up early, be there on time, and do the jobs assigned to me every day. It’s different than getting up and going to class all week.” And like other students who have completed internships Julia didn’t forget to mention the valuable networking opportunities she gained through the CASA program.
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Cody Gondyke, Devereux Many students know they don’t want to do just another “run of the mill” internship. Unfortunately, many don’t discover this until after that have accepted a position and gained a little bit of experience. Nichols senior Cody Gondyke, a Human Resource Management and International Business major, knew he didn’t want one of these “run of the mill” internships from the start. He wanted to expose himself to a position and company that he was not so familiar with. It was this mindset that brought him to apply to Devereux, a nonprofit behavioral health organization, helping those in the community who need it most since 1912. The program offers educational and employment programs as well as clinical therapy sessions (www.devereux.org).
position, “You have to go into an interview knowing what makes you an individual. You can remember everything you learned in PDS but if you don’t stand out from the other candidates they won’t remember you.”
What did Cody’s internship teach him? “I was working in the human resources department so I learned a lot about the hiring processes.” Cody learned a little bit about hiring laws, turnover rates, how to deal with day to day employee problems, and how to prevent these employee problems from happening in the future. Another important thing Cody learned, “Know the right questions to ask.” He remembers a day where he was “stuffed in a basement office” and given a project with little direction of how to go about completing it. “I used the tools I’ve How did Cody hear about this opportunity? He learned at Nichols, SWOT analysis, and case study’s to actually stumbled upon the position while completing a figure out how to go about the project.” The end result, homework assignment for his Senior PDS class. His PDS “The manager of training was impressed that I had finclass was required to research positions that would be of ished so quickly.” interest to them and fill out five job applications per week. Cody filled out the Devereux applications and reA project for his PDS class led Cody to his inceived a call for an interview not long after. “The interternship at Devereux. Through this experience he was view process went quickly. I had two interviews, with able to learn many important aspects of the hiring procthree interviewers in the room at a time.” Sitting at a ta- ess, something that will be of great help to him if he obble with three interviewers may sound quite intimidating tains a position in a company’s human resource departbut Cody insists that the interview skills he learned ment after graduation. Cody used many of the tools he through PDS helped him navigate the interviews confihas learned here at Nichols to complete projects and ask dently. “The phone interview exercise we did in PDS was the right questions. What did Cody learn about himself especially helpful to remember when you’re going through this experience? “The experience is great but I through an interview process.” He also points out that would not want to work for a nonprofit organization.” remembering the material in your portfolio can help you prepare for experiential questions. But it’s not just what Cody learned through PDS that helped him obtain the
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Christine Needle, Sherwin Williams
A phone interview…a second interview…and then a third interview?! This is the interview process Nichols senior Christine Needle went through to land her summer internship at Sherwin Williams in North Attleboro MA. If you are not familiar with Sherwin Williams they are not only the largest producer of paints and other surface coatings in the United States, but one of the largest in the world (Sherwin-williams.com). “I think the interview process was so tough because it was a paid position, not many internships are paid so I was lucky” Christine said. She found the position through the website summerjobs.com and applied right away. The first stage of Christine’s interview was a phone interview with a recruiting manager from the company. She admits that the phone interview was a bit awkward, but by remembering what she learned in PDS and being prepared to confidently answer questions about her experience she was not only able to get through it, but was offered a second interview. A successful second interview with the North Attleboro store manager led to a third interview with the manager and a job offer. So what advice does Christine have for students who are going through a strenuous interview process? First, practice your phone interview skills. The phone interview assignment that is a part of the junior PDS curriculum boosted Christine’s confidence and allowed her to overcome a bit of the awkwardness this method can cause. Second, prepare! Research the company you are interviewing with before going into the interview. Look at their website, know their products or services. And third, check and recheck your resume. “Have multiple people look at your
resume.” When it comes to something so important to your future one set of eyes is never enough. Christine’s internship had her working in a retail store. The main focus of her training was on product knowledge, inventory management and most importantly customer service. She also spent ten weeks working on a “very time consuming” project with another intern. The project was based on the company’s Residential Repaint program. “We had to present the finished project to people from four different districts it was a little intimidating.” The audience was made up of not only store managers, but district managers. It’s for important presentations like this that Effective Speaking class comes in handy! Through her internship Christine gained handy experience in customer service, teamwork and public speaking. “This experience made me more comfortable talking to people.” Another important value she improved upon along the way, multi-tasking. Like most other students who have experienced working in a professional setting she agrees that it’s much different than getting up and going to class every day. Some last minute advice for students looking for internships? “Apply early! And remember to follow up after you send in your resume and of course after the interview.”
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Tyler Shute, The Worcester Sharks There’s a lot that goes into planning and running even a minor league sporting event, just ask a Nichols student who has had the opportunity to experience this first-hand through internships with the Worcester Sharks. The Sharks, a minor league hockey franchise affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, have established a notable relationship with Nichols College. They use on campus recruiting opportunities, such as the College career fair, to give students the chance to gain experience and knowledge in the field of sport man- as if it was off season or in season. A majority of the office hours he agement. worked were spent assisting with the sales research initiative. Tyler made During the 2013 fall semester phone calls to potential sponsors, Nichols student, Tyler Shute, acmade deliveries of flyers and promocepted an internship with the Worces- tional materials to local schools, and ter Sharks. The team’s home is the did research on the teams potential recently renovated DCU Center in target markets. He admits that alWorcester, which has a capacity of though these jobs felt like mundane 6,000 on game days. There are a vari- “busy work” to him, he understood ety of teams that work together on a why they were so important to the daily basis to ensure that both the organization. As an intern Tyler planning and the games themselves wanted to learn as much as he could run smoothly. The sales, marketing, about the business, even if that meant and management teams all work in an starting from the bottom and slowly office setting at the DCU center dur- working his way up. ing the week, something Nichols students will get a taste of when interning with the Sharks. The sports indusThe Worcester Sharks are not try isn’t all fun and games! Tyler a perennial team or a powerhouse in assures us that on game days memthe AHL; they rank 24th of 32 teams bers of each office team do different in total yearly attendance. Because of tasks to make sure everything runs these statistics management must come up with unconventional ways to according to plan. sell tickets and fill seats. “Throughout my time with the Sharks I saw a lot Over the course of Tyler’s of the promotional side. They have to internship he worked closely with the come up with some pretty crafty Ticket Sales and Management team ways to fill seats every night.” There in the office. The office portion of his are the usual promotions; "chuck-ajob gave him experience in a wide puck", season ticket holder of the variety of tasks. The jobs that he was night, 50-50 raffles, pie eating conresponsible for depended on the day tests, memorabilia and jersey giveof the week he was working, as well aways, and seat upgrade availability.
The fans are happy to participate fully in these, as well as in other special promotions that are offered. Special promotions are being introduced regularly; during Tyler’ time there he witnessed an Autism awareness event, season ticket holder parties, bobble head nights, kid sponsored events, and appearances from local professional athletes such as Kenbrell Thompkins and David Ross. Being a small team, the Worcester Sharks must constantly find new and exciting ways to bring in revenue and meet ticket sale goals. During his time with the Worcester Sharks, Tyler learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a minor league sports team. Although the arena and the fan base are not as large as those for professional teams, just as much planning and work goes into each event. In some cases, such as ticket sales, more work can be involved. Tyler was given the opportunity to gain a better understanding and knowledge of how such a small team brings in revenue and builds their fan base, something he could have not have learned solely through a college class.
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Shelby Aminti, Avery Dennison
An internship with a fortune 500 company may be hard to come by, but Nichols senior, Shelby Aminti, was given the opportunity to spend summer 2013 interning with one of these highly successful and influential companies. Shelby accepted a position with Avery Dennision plastic manufacturing company in Fitchburg, MA as a marketing and communication intern. Avery Dennision produces car parts as well as tags for clothing and accessories. Because of the types of products the company produces they hold major relationships with large car companies and clothing designers. As the marketing communication intern Shelby worked on marketing projects for the automotive and branding divisions. She helped create marketing materials for trade shows, retouched brochures for the sales team to bring on calls, wrote articles for the company Wiki page, and created internal and external presentations for new product releases. One of the many responsibilities Shelby held had her regularly participating in international conference calls with other marketing, and creative teams around the world, an experience she could never have received in a classroom. As an intern Shelby was given the chance to work hands on, learning a number of different business aspects and how such a large company is run. An internship can be the perfect way to test drive problem solving and communication skills before actually entering the professional world after graduation. While working with Avery Dennision, Shelby learned
how to communicate better with individuals and groups alike. She also enhanced her problem solving skills by mediating between two groups, the goal being to represent a product artistically. Shelby was not confined to working with only one internal team, but spent the summer working with everyone from machine operators to the heads of the marketing department. Shelby shadowed numerous people from a number of different departments, including engineers, and product development specialists. Not only did she work with a number of different individuals on location, but also with some in Ohio, and Europe. With such a large number of responsibilities resting on her shoulders Shelby grew familiar with computer programs such as Excel and Adobe Illustrator, and urges other students to do the same. Shelby is grateful for all she learned through her experience with Avery Dennision, and she thanks Nichols for teaching her how to apply herself in interviews and in the business world. She urges students to “apply to a bunch of places even if they’re out of your comfort zone”. Even an internship that seems negative at the time can give you some great life lessons about yourself and the workplace. Shelby’s last bit of advice, if you don’t get the position you’re hoping for don’t give up because something will turn up, and it will be well worth your struggles.
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Nichole Corwin, Plymouth District Courthouse criminals. She had to prepare a list of questions beforehand. Each person was asked basic information, and if they wanted a court appointed attorney. If a court appointed attorney was requested it was Nichole’s responsibility to take down financial information, in order to see if the individual met certain qualifications. It was after hearing the stories of those in the lockup that Nichole realized a career as a probation officer is one she hopes to pursue. By interacting with these individuals on a regular basis Nichole gained hands on experience working in the probation department at a court house. A career as a probation officer may not seem like the ideal job to many, but Nichols student Nichole Corwin knows that this is the right path for her to take. This past winter Nichole Corwin, a Criminal Justice major, completed an internship with the Probation Department at the Plymouth District Court House in Plymouth Massachusetts. It seems that a passion for Criminal Justice may run in her blood. Nichole’s cousin works in the probation department and Nichole saw this as a great opportunity to test out her networking skills. Nichole’s internship was unpaid but the knowledge she gained will be more useful to her in the long run. Her assignments ranged from transporting records, case files, intakes, indecency verifications, and other court related documents to the appropriate court sessions. She also had to assist and complete intake data at the counter and lockup. During court sessions Nichole was asked to assist courtroom personal in the copying of evidentiary documents to be presented to the judge. When working in a court setting many of the documents that are handled are confidential and time sensitive, because of this it was essential that Nichole completed all of her assignments in a timely and accurate manner. She had to be organized, efficient and dependable. Nichole was also given the opportunity to observe daily court proceedings. This included arraignments, pre trial conferences, bench trials, restraining and harassment orders, mental health commitments, drug court, and mental health court. Some days in the courtroom can be repetitive and mundane, while others can be suspenseful and dramatic. The experience Nichole recalls most vividly during her time working for the Probation Department was entering the lock up and recording information on different
Nichole has nothing but positive things to say about her experience interning for the Plymouth District Court House. The internship made her aware of the responsibilities she will face as a probation officer. Nichole’s time at Nichols gave her the knowledge and motivation necessary to make the most of the internship Being the captain and president of the cheerleading club at Nichols has taught her leadership, responsibility, and determination, all three of which are important not only to her education but also to achieving her professional goals. Nichole believes that these skills are what helped her adapt and have such a positive impact and experience at the courthouse.
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Abby Gould, Willowbend and The American Red Cross
Nestled among lush green golf courses, tennis courts, an Olympic sized pool and a spa is where Nichols senior Abby Gould spent the summer of 2013. But Abby wasn’t a guest at Willowbend, a resort type getaway in Mashpee, Massachusetts. She was a paid intern, who was also lucky enough to be given housing on site. Abby is a Business Communication and Hospitality double major, who knows that she wants to further explore the field of Event Management after graduation. Her internship at Willowbend cemented her interest in the field and gave her the experience one can only get through a summer of hands on learning.
centered on the planning of the Hometown Heroes event, which left her creating task sheets and cramming to meet budgeting restrictions. One of the most important things Abby learned through her time with the Red Cross was “how important the work thank you is.” But one internship wasn’t enough for Abby, “it left me wanting more.”
ganizing everything from the centerpieces, linens and dishware, right down to the drawing of floor plans for table arrangements at different events. Organization and planning are essential components of this field, and must be seen through from the beginning all the way to the end. Abby spent the summer working closely with staff, clients and outside vendors ensuring every detail was Nichols faculty and staff use taken care of. “I was able to work many resources to actively inform with a wonderful group of employees students about internship and emand learned so much more than I’ve ployment positions on and off cam- ever learned in a classroom”. pus. Abby learned of the Willowbend opportunity through Professor Through her internships with Harmon and the Career Services De- both the American Red Cross and partment at the college. She sent her Willowbend Abby has gained experiAbby has been active both cover letter and resume and was ence that will make her stand out in on and off campus at Nichols. On called in for an interview. After two her field against other job applicants. campus she is the President of Stusuccessful interviews Abby was ofBoth opportunities have given her dent Ambassadors, a first year teach- fered the position. “Willowbend gave networking opportunities that may ing assistant and a peer tutor. As far me the opportunity to get a feel for come in handy after graduation. Her as her off campus activities, Willow- exactly what I want to do, event man- advice to other students “put yourbend wasn’t Abby’s first internship. agement.” Throughout the course of selves out there!” Completing multiDuring her junior year Professor the summer Abby learned of the de- ple internships will gives you the Westerling recommended her for an tails of setting up different events experience that employers are lookinternship with the American Red including weddings, golf and dinners, ing for in the professional world. Cross in Worcester, MA. There she member outings . The resort offers “Experience is a vital necessity in was given a taste of event planning gourmet dining options, which altoday’s business world” Abby refor a non-profit organization. Abby lowed Abby to learn the little details minds others. As far as Abby’s future worked closely with volunteers on that go into serving a dinner party plans, “when the summer was over projects including; creating adversuch as, which side to serve the guest the owner of Willowbend offered me tisements, writing letters for donors, from, the proper way to open bottles a position after graduation. I haven’t and putting together mailings. Many of wine and pour water. She was also accepted it yet, but I am excited for of her internship responsibilities were able to work with table settings; orwhat the future brings!”
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Manny Goncalves, TD Bank Networking, networking, networking! It’s a term students hear year after year here at Nichols and one that should not be taken lightly. The networking connections that you make throughout your education can play a key role in obtaining both internships and employment opportunities in a tough job market. Nichols senior Manny Goncalves is the perfect example of a student that used networking to land an internship position. Manny began his search for the perfect internship position during the winter of his junior year, with the Career Services Office at the college, but found nothing that piqued his interest. He then took his search to a family friend, who is an employee at TD Bank, questioning them about possible internship opportunities. His networking connection was able to help him get an interview at the Worcester MA office. Manny, a Finance and Accounting double major, was looking to intern as a credit analyst, a field he was interested in pursuing after graduation. During his first interview with TD Bank Manny learned that many of the employees in the office were Nichols alumni, including the interviewer. The connection the bank holds with the college made Manny feel welcome right from the start. The first interview led to a formal phone interview with a recruiter from the TD Bank Human Resources Department in New Jersey. Manny found the phone interview to be quite nerve racking; “I walked around my living room during the entire interview because I was so nervous. I could not stop pacing.” After about a month of waiting, Manny finally received an offer to join the Worcester office, for ten weeks, as an intern during the summer of 2013.
Manny’s internship began in New Jersey at the end of May, where he received two weeks of credit analyst training from TD University. While there he studied the tasks that an entry level credit analyst would perform, preparing him to jump right into the dirty work when he returned to Worcester. After New Jersey, Manny started his eight week internship in the Worcester office. Over the course of the summer his responsibilities included; entering financial statements, analyzing companies’ annual reviews, performing background industry reports, and testing current bank clients’ covenant. Manny could not go into specifics about what type of systems that he learned to use or what type of clients the bank has because of the non-disclosure documents he signed when he accepted the position. Overall, Manny found his experience at TD Bank to be a positive one. He credits Nichols for helping prepare him to perform the duties of a credit analyst. Interning in the banking industry gave Manny an abundance of knowledge and experience that he will be able to apply to his future endeavors. Much of it knowledge he could not have gained from a textbook. Although he enjoyed his time with TD Bank and the people he worked with, the most important thing Manny’s internship taught him was that a career in banking is not one he will be pursuing after graduation. Instead, he hopes to put his focus towards the ever changing industry of investments.
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NEWSLETTER TITLE
Alyssa Bufis, Appreciation Events Pitch, promote and sell are three of the key words Nichols student Alyssa Bufis became familiar with through the course of her internship with Appreciation Events. Making cold calls and sales pitches may sound a bit intimidating to some, but Alyssa’s position as a junior event coordinator for the sales and marketing company forced her to dive right into them head first. Appreciation Events sells employee discount cards to employees at a number of different companies. This company has worked with the likes of Google, and the New York Times.
also gained office experience and what it is like to be in a professional environment Monday through Friday. Another important lesson Alyssa learned through this experience is that the sales/marketing field is not one she hopes to pursue as a career.
Alyssa’s time interning with Appreciation Events gave her knowledge, experience and networking connections. She’s remarks about co-workers, “They were always willing to take me under their wing and to their events so I could learn the ropes”. Another aspect she enjoyed about her internship? Being on the go and As Nichols teaches their students from the time traveling to different places for events, there wasn’t they step on campus, there are a variety of ways to go much time to be stuck in the office. Alyssa is thankful about finding internship opportunities. Alyssa found the for the opportunity she was given and encourages other position with Appreciation Events at intership.com and students to go out and pursue an internship. Another easily applied right through the internship.com website. word of advice Alyssa has for others? Don’t fret if your Although the application process was not too strenuous, internship is unpaid, “because it will still let you experithe interview process was a bit different. Alyssa had to ence the real world and find out what you like, what under-go a three-step interview process before she was your good at, what you don’t like and what you are not offered the position. good at”. The full time position with Appreciation Events had Alyssa working from eight to five every day for three months, unpaid. Her responsibilities varied each day, but one of the main task she performed was making cold calls to different companies. This is calling a prospective client without their knowledge of the incoming call; in other words, telemarketing. Alyssa had to pitch the Employee Discount Cards to the human resource manager at each company, in hopes of scheduling a meeting. On other days Alyssa had to promote events at companies by setting up signs and sending out email blasts. The day of each particular event she had to set up a table displaying all the discount cards her company sold. In order to properly run these events she had to be knowledgeable about what each card offered and which customers would enjoy each card. Her other responsibilities included making sure customers were happy with their purchase by utilizing efficient customer service skills after the transaction. Alyssa’s internship helped her gain knowledge in the sales, marketing, and customer service fields that she could not have received from a textbook or lecture. For example she had to learn how to properly pitch an idea, promote a product and sell it, all the while dealing with customer orders, questions, and/or complaints. She
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Geoff Iadarola, The Bolton Police Department
The chance to work one on one with the Chief of Police is one that many Criminal Justice majors would jump for. Nichols student, Amanda Broughton, was lucky enough to get this experience with the Bolton Police Department during a spring 2013 internship. Mandy learned, first-hand, what it’s like to live the daily life of a police officer. During the 13 weeks of her internship she had learned everything from how to shoot a gun properly, to going on a drive along. Every day Mandy spent 4 to5 hours with the Chief of Police learning how to dispatch police and rescue crews, and join in on calls once the crews were dispatched. The search for the perfect internship, which can seem endless and time consuming, is much simpler by utilizing the help of advisors, professors, or other staff here at Nichols. Mandy found her internship through Professor Charbonneau, who has established a relationship with the Bolton Police Department. Many Nichols students have been interns with the Bolton P.D. over the past few years. Mandy thanks Professor Charbonneau for helping her achieve her ambition to become a police officer. Her drive and passion increased even more through what she saw while behind the scenes at the police department. Mandy’s internship proved to her that she is ready to jump into the lifestyle of a police officer. One of the experiences Mandy enjoyed most was learning to shoot a gun with the Chief. The Chief took her to the “shooting range”, which actually turned out to be an early morning trip to the local dump. The police in Bolton are able to use the dump as their shooting range early in the day, because it does not open until 1:00 P.M. Mandy put on the chiefs bullet proof vest upon entering, and was ready to go. Mandy learned to shoot a six shot revolver, which the Chief taught her how to load, aim, and handle correctly. The target Mandy used that day at the shooting range now hangs in her bedroom. Mandy completed her internship as a junior, and unlike many college students, never felt that her internship took her out of her comfort zone. She knew, even before this experience, that she wanted to be a police officer in a small town like Bolton. Through her time with the Bolton P.D. Mandy gained real-life experience, tools and knowledge that she is sure to use after leaving Nichols. Before she left the police department, the Chief wrote her an amazing recommendation letter talking about her passion and drive to become a police officer. This letter will, no doubt, be a treasure when Mandy begins her job hunt after graduation.
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Brianna Jones, Morgan Stanley
When a recruiter sees a resume with one internship, they are satisfied. With two they are impressed; with five…they are intrigued. During the past three years Nichols College junior Brianna Jones has had the opportunity to intern for five different companies. Brianna’s most recent endeavor was with Morgan Stanley in their wealth management department during the summer of 2012 and the winter of 2013. Throughout Brianna’s many internship experiences, Morgan Stanley is where she feels the most knowledge was gained, working alongside three financial advisors to help with 401k’s, Stocks, Bonds, and other important client information. In such a competitive job market how does a college student find not one but five internships? For Brianna, it was all about wanting to separate herself from other candidates when she applies for jobs after college. “Overall starting my internships early was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made, even if they are all not with big known companies, such as Morgan Stanley. Through internships you learn more about what employers really expect from their employees,” Brianna expressed. Out of thousands of applicants that applied to intern for Morgan Stanley, Brianna was one of five candidates that received a position in the Westport, CT branch. How does one get chosen out of thousands of candidates? Brianna’s secret was networking on LinkedIn with employees that worked at the branch. And let’s face it, having such an ample amount of previous internship experience definitely helped! Some of Brianna’s daily duties included clerical work, handling client accounts, and assisting her advi-
sors with taxes. After working through the summer of 2012, Brianna was asked to return and intern during the winter of 2013. It was the second time around that she really got the opportunity to see what takes place throughout the entirety of the company. During the winter, Brianna was able to sit in on meetings and work even closer with her three advisors, being their so called “right hand man.” Brianna is a double major in finance and marketing, but knows finance is the right path for her, “this internship helped me paint the path of what I want to do in my finance career.” Working for Morgan Stanley was an opportunity of a lifetime that Brianna will never forget. Through the different tasks she had to complete she was able to find that wealth management might be a position to keep in mind after graduation. In college Brianna believes that it is important to take advantage of any and all opportunities and she plans to continue doing so, until she graduates in May of 2015.
“This internship helped me paint the path of what I want to do in my finance career.”
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Colleen Coleman, Enterprise Rent-A-Car It’s true that the faculty and staff at Nichols College excel in preparing students for the real world; however, there are just some things students cannot learn in the classroom. When it comes to college education, some of the best lessons students receive come from hands on interaction in the field they are studying. For Nichols College senior Colleen Coleman, being thrown into the pressure of a “real job” proved to be the most beneficial opportunity she could have asked for. Through her summer 2013 internship as a Management Trainee Intern with the Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch in Auburn, Massachusetts, Colleen not only increased her knowledge of the car and insurance industry, but most importantly, she learned valuable management skills she knows she will put to use in the future.
especially their business accounts such as the body shops and dealerships they were in close association with. This opportunity gave her hands on experience with customer service that she would never have received solely in a classroom.
The most important skill Colleen gained was learning how to work in a fast-passed and high-stress environment. Having multiple responsibilities and being asked to perform different tasks each and every day caused her to feel extremely stressed at times. Also, she was working an average of 40 to 45 hours a week, alongside 5 co-workers, often having to drive to other Enterprise branches in the surrounding area, such as the Worcester, Dudley, and East Brookfield when they needed further assistance. For instance, on multiple ocLike most opportunities, this one was not just casions, the other branches were in dire need of more going to be handed to Colleen; she knew she would have cars, causing Colleen to have to drive cars back and forth to work for it. The Business Management major knew to them. Nevertheless, she pushed through those stressshe had to start networking if she wanted to get noticed ful days and proved successful since she received high and find an internship. She utilized the Career & Intern- praise and was offered a full-time job as an official Manship Fair that Nichols College offers its students in the agement Trainee upon graduation. Colleen relishes the spring semester to find her summer internship. At the experience she gained through the Enterprise Rent-A-Car fair, she met with Enterprise Rent-A-Car representatives internship and believes that, “internships give you a great made up of former interns, four of whom were Nichols idea of what you want, or even don’t want, to do for a College alumni. Nichols has developed a strong relation- living. They also provide a path to getting a full time ship with the company over the past few years; Enterjob!” prise recruiters have become a constant presence at the annual career fair. They were extremely eager to have such an outstanding and well-spoken student apply to their internship program; thus, Colleen embraced the opportunity and sent in her application immediately. After two successful interviews with managers of the company, she was officially offered the job. She ecstatically accepted this paid internship. As most students are aware, paid internships have become few and far between. As a part of her internship, Colleen picked up customers from their homes, body shops, car dealerships, and other various locations. After picking them up, she rented them vehicles based on their preferred specifications. Additionally, she had to audit contracts, quote rates, answer phone calls and walk-in inquiries about Enterprise’s services, sell protection packages, pre-paid fuel, along with other services, as well as help manage the branch’s fleet, of about 200 cars. Overall, Colleen had to make sure that she kept their customers satisfied,
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Marcus Leary, The Worcester Sharks four hours ahead of time to help with the pre-game setup. “People don’t realize the amount of work that is put into the pre-game set up.” Inflating the shootout booth, getting the merchandise tables ready, making sure everything is well stocked, preparing marketing packets and rosters were just a few things Marcus was responsible for. “During the game I would follow Finz, be part of the cheer team, or answer any questions that anyone had.” When the game ended Marcus handed out promotional materials and helped with clean up.
The annual Nichols College Career Fair is a great networking event, and also the perfect setting for students to begin scouting internship and employment opportunities. Just ask Nichols senior, Marcus Leary, who obtained his internship with the Worcester Sharks through in the career fair. “I first came into contact with the Sharks during an internship fair that Nichols College had during the 2013 spring semester.” The Worcester Sharks are a minor league hockey team affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. At the fair Marcus spoke to Mat Catacchio about the internship program the Sharks offered and they exchanged contact information. “I left my resume with Mat and after some time had passed, I received an email saying that the Sharks wanted to interview me.” Marcus went to the office at the DCU Center and met with Mat for the interview, after which he was offered an internship position. Marcus’ internship was set to start in September, but with free time on his hands in the middle of August he called to see if the Sharks had any work they needed help with. “They were happy that I called and said that they did need some help with a few marketing events.” From then on most of Marcus’ weekends were filled with promotional marketing events with the Sharks. Once the fall semester started, Marcus continued doing the marketing and promotional events as well as some office work. Once the hockey season started in October, he continued to do the marketing promotional events, but also worked at the DCU center on game days. Game days required that he be there
Marcus “learned that it takes a lot of work to set up the arena for the games. It can also be fun to work those games because you can meet the players and fans.” Another major lesson Marcus learned sports management industry? “Be prepared to work hard and go the extra mile.”
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Felicia Guzman, The DCU Center
It’s a hockey arena, a dirt arena, and a stage all in one. No it’s not impossible, it’s the DCU Center! The DCU Center plays host too many events including concerts, sporting events, conventions, trade shows, and family events. What could be more important than what goes on at the DCU Center? The answer is what goes on behind the scenes to make this array of event possible. Felicia Guzman, a Hospitality major at Nichols, was able to find out first hand what goes into making an event successful through an internship at the DCU Center. During her time as an intern she worked closely with the operations department, overseeing a large variety of events.
ing connections could help her score the internship opportunity she was hoping for. Her mother had a friend in the accounting department at the DCU center, the perfect opportunity to get Felicia’s foot in the door. Felicia’s mother exchanged emails with her friend, asking if they take on interns. Lucky for Felicia, they do. Felicia quickly received contact information for the human resource manager, and sent an email inquiring about internship positions. This process showed her just how important networking and making connections can be.
The tasks that Felicia was responsible for each week allowed her to experience the different types of events that a convention center would hold. Some days she would help set up the ice rink for the Worcester Sharks games, other days she would spend with the hockey arena team and doing office work. One of the most exciting events Felicia remembers working was a monster truck event. This event showed her how quickly and efficiently work must be completed in order to transform a hockey rink into a dirt track. Felicia wasn’t only responsible for event setups, but also assisted in the breakdown. The Felicia knew when she time and labor that go into each chose to transfer to Nichols that she event made Felicia appreciate the would have to complete an interncrews who have to put in long ship in order to receive her diploma. hours, sometimes even overnight However, at the time she was unsure shifts to make these events a reality. where she was interested in interning. Felicia discussed her interests Security is an important part with her mom, mentioning that she of each event, and Felicia got the thought “it would be exciting to put opportunity to work closely with the together events for a company”. security team for several. When What Felicia didn’t know at the working this position she was retime, was that her mom’s network- sponsible for the safety of all atten-
dees and enforcing venue policies. One event that required intense security attention was the Barstool Blackout Foam party, popular with college aged crowds. This was a nightclub like party that hosted a DJ and a stage that released foam into the crowd. As security, Felicia had to be on the look-out for people who appeared under the influence. It was also the responsibility of security to prevent fights from breaking out, and control individuals from climbing onto the stage. It is important that the crew at the DCU Center do everything in their power to make sure all attendees are safe and that no negative reputation is given to the company name. During her time interning at the DCU Center Felicia gained experience by working with Disney on Ice, Professional Gymnastics, Professional Bull Riding, New England Fishing & Outdoor Expo, dance competitions, business conferences, proms and more. With such a wide variety Felicia had the opportunity to see event management in action and what goes into making an event run smoothly. Felicia also observed how the manager interacted with clients, assigned his staff different departments and tasks, and most importantly solved problems and met deadlines. Felicia now has a better idea of what it would be like to work as an event planner, from office work and planning to event setup and breakdown. There is a lot that goes into planning a single event and Felicia’s internship gave her “an inside look at what it takes to execute an event from the minute it’s contracted, until the minute it is over”.
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Hilary Mason, Wachusett Regional High School
As students finish up their final semesters of college, their main focus is to reach their goals by pursuing the “perfect career”. Of course, there is always the chance that things will not turn out according to plan. Towards the end of their education some students realize that they may not be quite as interested in the path they had planned on. But does that mean that they should just give up, simply because they no longer will follow their original plan? Of course not! Instead, Nichols student Hilary Mason, urges other students to “try things out! Go in with an open mind!”
the PDS program at Nichols helped her conduct a confident and successful interview. She was offered a position as a high school guidance counselor at a school made up of 2,100 students, and quickly accepted. Hilary was excited; so far her career planning was going smoothly. In the guidance office Hilary had the opportunity to talk to students about their plans for college, and gave advice based on her own knowledge and firsthand experience. She enjoyed talking to them, and felt motivated by the fact that she could be a role model to these students. Hilary remembers the remarkable feeling of helping one high school senior who was accepted to M.I.T. With her Hilary Mason, a senior at Nichols College, help he was now one step closer to reaching his own learned through her internship at Wachusett Regional High School, that perhaps, the career path she was set on goals. following may not have been the perfect fit for her. Hilary’s experience working as a guidance Hilary’s position allowed her to work as a guidance counselor, taught her not only how to communicate with counselor at the school, where she observed students students and the school community as a whole, she also coming in and out the guidance office seeking assistance learned a lot about herself. This experience helped her with their plans for college, as well as issues they were realize that she may have been following the wrong path. having with current courses. An internship as a high She lived and learned the day to day duties of a school school guidance counselor can be hard to come by, but counselor, and this no longer interested her as a career Hilary was able to utilize a networking connection that choice. Instead Hilary has decided that she wants to be a she had made through her Cross Fit training team to school psychologist, another way to help students to reach their dreams and goals. If it wasn’t for this exciting learn about the opportunity. opportunity, Hilary wouldn’t have known that the high The interview skills that Hilary acquired through school guidance office wasn’t the place for her.
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Kerry Postale, Blackstone Valley Commerce
Internships play an important role in the education students receive at Nichols College. An internship gives each student the chance to dive right into a professional working environment and gain hands on experience in their chosen major. For Nichols junior Kerry Postale, an internship was something that she took great interest in and looked forward to completing during her time as a student. To begin her search, Kerry visited the college’s Career Services Department. With the help of Career Services, the Hospitality Management major, applied and was accepted to a summer internship position with Blackstone Valley Commerce.
remaining positive and open minded can lead to a learning experience that may expand your horizons and introduce you to things that you may have otherwise never thought you would enjoy doing.
Over the course of the summer Kerry took it upon herself to find tasks she could be a part of that were of interest to her. The company that she interned for also conducts bus tours. Kerry expressed her interest in the bus tours to her superior and was given the opportunity to plan the itinerary. This quickly became her favorite part of the internship. Over the course of the summer Kerry learned that an internship, or perhaps even a job, may not be what was initially expected. When this is the case,
merce gave her professional experience, boosted her resume, created new networking opportunities, and helped her land an entry level position in the field of her dreams. Like other students, one of the things Kerry enjoyed most was learning about herself, what really interests her and what does not, by trying things that she had never thought to try before. In the end, an internship that defies expectations can be the best learning experience of all.
One of the most important things Kerry gained from her internship with Blackstone Valley Commerce was networking opportunities. Towards the end of the summer, when the internship was coming to a close, Kerry mentioned to her supervisor that she to pursue a career in wedding planning. Lucky for Kerry, her supervisor knew of wedding planning business that was in need of some help and immediately made a phone call. At Blackstone Valley Commerce Kerry’s main After sending in her resume Kerry was asked to come for responsibility was an economic development project. In an interview and was offered the position at the wedding order to make this project a success it was her responsi- planning company as wedding planners assistant. She is bility to call and/or email local properties available for currently employed with the same company, and gaining rent or sale, gather information about the space and com- day to day experience in the field she was most interested pose listings for the area. Kerry admits that the internship in. Kerry’s case proves that networking can be a great was “not by any means what she expected”. Although the way to meet people that may end up being beneficial position strayed from the path she had expected, Kerry when searching for employment opportunities. still learned a great deal from the experience. Kerry’s internship with Blackstone Valley Com-
Written and compiled by: Jillian Stadig (2014) Contributors Rebecca Waszczuk Katarina Floridia Rebecca Palmarozza Stevie Racicot Natalie Trivino Tahkeya Blake Katy Davis Marcus Leary Erika Rothberg Stephanie Mathewson Alexa Smith Liam Sullivan Kimberly Glode