Internships:

Courtnie Pollard, Psychology Major from Jennings, LA

Disney College Program, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

What made you look into an internship in the first place?

The reason I looked into this internship was because I thought it would be a really cool experience to work for Disney. I went to Disney World in the winter of 2010 and saw someone with a college name on their nametag instead of their hometown and I asked them about it. They told me about the college program Disney offered and I thought it would be interesting to look into; I mean, who wouldn't want to work for the Disney Company and have Mickey Mouse be your boss?!

What made your particular internship stand out to you?

Initially, I applied for the program just to do it and just have the experience of going through the process in hopes of doing the program at a later date. I had no clue I was going to get accepted into the program, but I was thrilled when I found out about it; I actually started crying (and I don't cry).  The program also offers students classes to take, but doesn’t make it mandatory because all colleges don't accept them. I have chosen to take two classes to count towards my schooling, and one just for fun.

What are you responsibilities in the internship and what are you learning from it?

My responsibilities are simple, go to work. I work between 35-50 hours a week at a Quick Service restaurant at Epcot called Liberty Inn. I work in the front of house where I help with bussing, running the register, and greeting customers, and also in the kitchen preparing food.  So far, I have learned to work with many different kinds of people. I have also learned how to live on my own through my own paychecks. It's also very rewarding making someone's stay at Walt Disney World better just simply because I was doing my job. I've met people from all over the world, and even though it's difficult at times, it's rewarding and cool at the same time. I'm glad that I was able to come work over here and it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life.

How has the Career Connections and Experiential Education office helped you in attaining the internship?

Without Career Connections, and help from other ULM personnel, my internship would not be possible. As soon as I found out that I was accepted for the program, I went straight to Career Connections. They helped me make appointments to go see people regarding my credits and scholarship information. They really cared about me getting the information that I needed in the time I needed it for.

Ana Burjaili, MBA Student from Bebedouro, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Oliver Manufacturing, Rocky Ford, CO

What made you look into an internship in the first place?

This internship was a great surprise for me because I had been looking for one since the beginning of the spring semester, but nothing I had seen really interested me.  I wanted an internship because the only one I had when I was an undergrad student was in Brazil.  I wanted to experience something in the US, and get a chance to understand how things really work in the real world.  I had been going to school for five and a half years, about to get an MBA degree with no experience whatsoever, so I thought I really need an internship to help me understand things better and get prepared before I face the “real world”.

Dr. Denardin told me one day that Oliver Manufacturing was looking for an intern for the summer and they were coming to Monroe to interview some students, and I should get an appointment to get interviewed by them.  I thought that was pretty cool because I actually already knew something about Oliver since I had helped my roommate on a school project involving the company.

What made your particular internship stand out to you?

This internship stood out to me because the company has a profile that matches my interests.  Firstly, Oliver works with the agriculture sector.  It manufactures machines for seed processing.  I've grown interest on agribusiness because my father is an agro-engineer, and he and my grandfather have grown many kinds of crops over the years.  I’ve always enjoyed the times at the farm since I was a kid, and I’ve lived around the main agricultural center of Brazil until I went to college.  Secondly, by looking at the website, I observed the company might have some kind of green sustainability.  They process seeds and nothing goes to waste.  The “bad” seed is always used for something else other than planting.  Thirdly and most important, the company has international possibilities.  I was told by Dr. Denardin they were looking into expanding to South America.  So, these are the three main reasons why the internship stood out to me at first. 

Before the interviews, they told us how every seed that is processed by their machine is transformed later to a usable good, for example, cotton into clothes.  Then, I was interviewed by Mr. Brian (President, CEO) and Mr. Joe (COO), and for the whole time they were there, they were very friendly and seemed to be so hard-working and passionate about their business. That was something that stood out to me as well.   

What are you responsibilities in the internship and what are you learning from it?

My position title is Sales and Marketing Intern.  My responsibilities:

• To grasp as much possible knowledge in regards to current Markets for Oliver Manufacturing and how our equipment addresses needs in the markets of North and South America.
• To learn about our sales cycles and direction for sales in North and South America.
•  Gather media & demographic research.  Provide a marketing report for the Countries of Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
• Help develop marketing plan for upcoming season for South America.
• Help develop database for contacts in South America.
• Assist with any tradeshows or travel in various capacities.  Specifically ISF Rio Brazil June 2012
• Assist in setting up customer appointments for the ISF Rio Congress June 2012
• Assist with development of social network sites and website maintenance
• Assist with and perform any other duties as needed or assigned by the Marketing Director                                                  

I’ve learned a lot so far about all the aspects of Business. Because of the size and scope of the company, they offer some potential to experience and learn at levels that may not be accessible in a larger company.  The time I’ve learned the most was on a trip to South America in June.  We went to Argentina and Brazil and worked with many different customers with different backgrounds.  It was really interesting to see the way my bosses dealt with the cultural differences while in those countries. 

Oliver is a “family” company. Not only because it has been passed down from generation to generation to a legitimate family member, but because most of the workers are family related.  I’ve learned that, most of the time, this is a good thing and makes the company more productive.

Furthermore, I’ve learned the way the chain of command works in a small business. Also, how day-to-day communication among the board and along the chain is so important for maintaining the business and keeping things in good shape. Besides this, I’ve improved my marketing research and report skills and also learned how to be more proactive.  The main thing I learned from all of this is that Marketing and Sales might be the career I pursue once I graduate. My undergrad degree was Finance and now I’m pursuing an MBA, however, I was never sure which field in Business interested me the most.

How has the Career Connections and Experiential Education office helped you in attaining the internship?

The Career Connections has helped me attain this internship by setting up an interview with Oliver Manufacturing.