In Their Own Words: Students Reflect on Their Summer Internships

Hello my name is Jay M. Walters Jr. I'm a senior here at Rockhurst University. I'm studying Communication Studies and Political Science (Pre-Med, Pre-Law). The internship that I took up with the Co-op Program was with Walters, Inc. This internship nonetheless was extremely difficult, but it was well worth it. I gained a vast amount of knowledge, pride, integrity, and strength. I've been able to interact with different customers, vendors and workers. My communication skills have greatly developed. This internship opened my eyes to the world in a way I never had viewed it. It allowed me to see that being a business owner is extremely hard but that it can be done. It takes a lot of time, effort, hard work and dedication to be successful in whatever you do life. – Jay Walters Jr.

Magis… pay it forward. If there is one thing I have developed through my experience at Rockhurst, it is a dedication to striving for excellence.  With each hurdle conquered we must continue to set the bar higher, often in spite of great difficulty.  It is a passion to succeed and to serve as leaders that allows us to better understand ourselves, others, and our world.  With the undertaking of a job to audit the university water bills, I saw an opportunity to give back to my alma mater and perhaps return the enormous favor Rockhurst had afforded me.  The interpersonal, mathematical, and analytical skills gained from my college experience have molded me into an effective contributor, team player, and problem solver well-suited for the job.  So far I have recovered over $160,000 in undue charges from the water company. I have spent this summer staying fit, learning Spanish, reading books, hanging with friends, balancing two jobs, beating cancer… and reflecting on all the good fortune and great people in my life.  Thank you Rockhurst, for pushing me to strive for excellence and to become a well-rounded individual.  May we continue to pay it forward.
 – Alex “Cody” Schuler

I’m Alex Shada and I am a recruiting manager for Farmers Insurance.  A typical day for me starts when I get to work at 9:00 AM. The first thing I have to do is refresh our job postings on CareerLink. Depending on the day, we may have a morning meeting. Next I have to search resumes on CareerBuilder and Monster for good qualified candidates. From there I reach out to them about possible job opportunities. I ask them a few questions and if they can communicate effectively, I schedule them for interviews. The last part of my job is conducting the first round interviews. Here I go more in-depth with questions and what they would be doing in this position. If they were intelligent and would be a good fit for our team, I pass them along to our district manager who does the 2^nd round interviews and application process. I make a few more phone calls and leave after 5:00 PM. All in all I enjoy my new job and look forward to a better future from here. – Alex Shada