Spring Co-op Student Devyn Fossey - Internship Reflection

I attended KVC Health Systems' annual gala (pictured above with my boss), and it put into perspective just how much my coworkers care for the organization they work for.  A lot of time and effort is put into planning the gala, and the entire night is dedicated to raising money to benefit children in foster care.  Seeing the dedication my coworkers have for their work furthers my love for the internship I have working alongside such passionate people. - Devyn Fossey - Junior Marketing Major
 

Fall 2015 Co-op Students

Christopher Stegall – Senior – Accounting

My internship at CACTUS Software has allowed me to learn a lot about state sales and income taxes! I'm about to walk into the office to calculate our sales tax liability in various states.

  

Sarah Czirr – Junior – Marketing / Jacob Weibel – Junior – Marketing

We work with the Google Community Leaders Program that is aimed at closing the digital divide in Kansas City. Their partnership with Literacy KC allows us to work directly with those who are underprivileged and do not have access to technology at home. We specialize in teaching them how to use online tools such as Google apps to help further their personal and professional growth. Here we are pictured in front of one of the many Google Fiber screens at the Google Fiber Space.

   

Brian McAuliffe – Senior – Business Administration

For the past six months I have been a Business Apprentice at Cerner Corporation in the Contract Management Operations Department. We are responsible for all of the contracts that are sent out to get signed by clients and then signed back here by executives. Every day I am able to connect with clients and other Cerner Associates all around the globe. It has truly been a learning experience that has helped me gain a greater understanding of the business world. Cerner Corporation is a great company and I am glad to have been given the opportunity to intern here.

    

Will Bockmeyer – Junior – Accounting

Working at a law firm allows me to get familiar with the data bases that are used on a day to day basis. Here I am searching the NetDocs data base.

 

Carolina Tines – Senior – English

My time at Uhlig LLC has been a great experience. I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who, like me, love the English language. I love the chance to network with interesting people while improving my proofreading skills.

  

 

 

Ruby Moore – Senior – Psychology

This is a typical day at Ozanam. I am interning as a Family and Youth Specialist. Part of my job is ensuring safety among each client. 98% of my day entails keeping everyone safe, from making sure everyone gets off of the bus safely when I come in on my shift, resolving conflicts, protecting the privacy of each client, all the way to checking rooms once everyone is in bed at night. Each night before we leave, we are responsible for going to rooms and checking on clients every 15 minutes. We have a checklist on every client’s door, and we check it off each time as verification.

 

 

 

Katelyn Edgar – Senior – Accounting

As part of the State Street internship, we are invited to give back. We spent a Friday afternoon volunteering at the Habitat Restore. Throughout the day, we were divided into teams and worked on a variety of different tasks for the company.  I enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about myself, my coworkers, as well as giving back to the community. 

 

Brett Basler – Senior – Accounting

With my internship, I am presented with a new and unique challenge every day. I have learned many new business and life skills throughout my exciting internship!

Tyrone Blackmon – Senior – Accounting

My internship with H&R Block is great because it allows me to affect people on a global scale. I work with the Expat Tax Services department and am able to do taxes for US Citizens living abroad.

  

PRROFREADER... by Carolina Vidal

PRROFREADER
PROOFREADER
By Carolina Vidal, Senior, English Major

 

When I first got the opportunity to interview for a position as a proofreader, I thought it was the natural thing to do. I am an English major, so it makes sense to find an internship that has something to do with reading, writing, or just looking for typos. It would give me enough experience to know whether or not I really liked the field, and it would have something to do with the English language.

After I was hired, I was ecstatic. I had done some proofreading for some unknown, self-published authors, but nothing too serious. Being hired to do that was a whole different thing, and the responsibility scared me. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I made a mistake? You know, it’s like anything else in life: you can do it, but when you tell someone, “Watch this,” suddenly you can’t.

But the weeks went by, I made mistakes here and there, learned from them (or at least I like to believe I did), and I’m still there. I got some encouraging feedback from my supervisors and had the opportunity to learn many things, especially about myself and in what kind of environment I like best. I have discovered I really enjoy working in a quiet environment. Compared to my previous experience when I was a student teacher in a kindergarten class, I can say I really love not having to talk all the time. I love children, but at the end of the day, I was always exhausted! So far, I am loving every minute of this experience. It seems like there’s always something that makes it interesting, or at least something that makes me think, “Huh! I had no idea!”

My Internship in Financial Market Research... by Quang Nguyen

My Internship in Financial Market Research
By Quang Nguyen, Finance and Applied Mathematics Majors

I am a senior student with dual degrees in Finance and Applied Mathematics. This summer, I got an intern position with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. My day starts out at 6AM. I commute every day for about an hour to work. The first thing that I usually do is to check my email for meeting or project work. At 8:30AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we have our group meeting to discuss projects that are currently in process and assign new projects to appropriate members on the team. After the meeting, we all disperse and work on our own project.

This internship comes very close to my expectations. Everybody on the team knows what they are responsible for and are very self-sufficient. We try our best to contribute to the success of the team by completing our tasks efficiently and effectively. The most valuable thing that I have learned from this internship is that the work place atmosphere has changed quite significantly. In comparison to my first internship, my daily activities were just office work and shadowing people. With this internship, I am assigned with a research project, which could possible be used for future strategic planning to improve the profitability of the company. It can be said that my internship with BIVI so far is very involving and exciting. It allows me the opportunity to be independent, yet still I can contribute and gain access to knowledge from team members.
 

The advice I would give to other students who are thinking about obtaining an internship is to “do it”. The earlier you can secure an internship the better. These internship opportunities will provide you with a chance to gain perspective, become mature, and increase awareness of the skill sets that are desirable to companies.

In order to obtain an internship, never underestimate the power of connection. Use both personal and professional networks. Take the initiative and present yourself to others and let them know you are looking for opportunities to further learn about potential careers. 

Summer Co-op Students Reflect On Their Internships

  Davies Sitenta - Junior - Global Studies

Working at the world headquarters of People to People International has broadened my insight about keeping a nonprofit organization sustainable and effective in achieving its mission. Here, I was entering our donor’s information in the database which was later used in the PTPI annual report. I work in a diverse working setting which makes it quite unique. Everyone brings their own touch to the work atmosphere and the organization at large.

 

Decho Valev – Junior – Accounting

My internship as a financial analyst allows me to help middle class families with their life coverage. Additionally, I have the responsibility of recruiting people who are sharp, motivated and coachable. Here I am standing in front of the company logo, inside the suite of the working place.

Duncan Preston – Junior – Economics

Each year Northwestern Mutual comes together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for what's known as The Annual Meeting. In 2015 I was blessed in being recognized as one of five "Top 5 CFR's" in the United States. This picture was taken at The Annual Meeting with my Kansas City team.

 

 

Jake Jansen - Senior - Physics

This picture is from an important meeting today for an upcoming engineering project. Today was our "60 day out" meeting, meaning we are 60 days away from start time of the job. It went really well but I still have a ton of work to do before the start time comes into vision.
 

 

Mitchell Baum – Junior – Accounting

My internship at Daniel Jones & Associates has given me an incredible insight to the inner workings of accounting for school districts, local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Having no experience in an audit at first, Daniel Jones & Associates helped me in a crash course on audits for different types of organizations. This picture depicts me in front of my current audit project, a local St. Louis nonprofit organization. I'm very thankful that I was given this amazing opportunity for practical experience in my major's field.

Sarah Cook – Junior – Accounting

The accounting firm I worked for this summer values the importance of teamwork in all projects we complete.  Christy and I were able to work together to input data and prepare financial documents for our clients.  She, as well as my other co-workers, helped me immensely throughout the entirety of the summer, answering questions and teaching me things that might not necessarily be taught in a classroom. 

Thomas Cargile – Senior – Accounting

Softball league champs! Softball has been a great tool to help me network and get to know my coworkers at my internship. It is also a lot of fun when you are winning!

Tyler Corlew – Junior – Marketing

My internship with All Systems and Sphere3 (an affiliate of All Systems) allows me to understand how the healthcare and technology fields work as separate entities. The technology that All Systems sets up at hospitals, such as Children's Mercy Hospital and North Kansas City Hospital, works together with software that Sphere3 provides to better help nursing leaders. Also, I gained an understanding of how those entities can work together to increase safety and efficiency for schools and universities, government buildings, corporations and places of worship.

An Intern's Inside View at State Street... by Andrew Rice

An Intern's Inside View at State Street
by Andrew Rice, Senior, Finance & Accounting Major

I am one the newest interns assigned to the Security Valuations Team at State Street. As a student in the Helzberg School of Management at Rockhurst University, I hold a natural inclination towards working in the financial industry. State Street appealed to me because of their global presence in the financial services industry, their rich history which dates back to the founding of America, and their immaculate willingness to be flexible around my course schedule.

 

I work part-time in the evenings from 2 to 6 p.m. When I first get to the office, there is plenty of time for me to settle in and set up for the work-day. I use this time to read emails, complete training requirements, and get coffee or make inquiries about work processes. My tasks begin at 2:30 where I begin the process of pricing security funds through the use of multiple programs. The night usually consists of completing a task and sending off reports to another team as well as receiving reports from other teams. This creates a sort-of financial assembly line that allows State Street to effectively and efficiently serve a large volume of clients. The job itself sheds a lot of light about the inner workings of the financial markets and has allowed me to better understand where I see myself managing my career in the industry.

Getting an internship is quintessential to landing your perfect entry-level job out of college. The willingness to show an employer that you are devoted enough to go beyond collegiate requirements and seek out responsibilities in your chosen industry will certainly strengthen your resume. This is something most college students understand, but how do you get from inspired to hired? Fellow Rockhurst students seeking to land an internship are in great luck! Career Services at Rockhurst University is staffed with the most knowledgeable, helpful, and motivated professionals who would love nothing more than to have you get the most out of your education. If your interested in learning more about internship opportunities than contact Career Services today!

My overall experience with State Street has been beyond pleasurable. I’ve gotten a hands-on and inside look at how financial services works to serve their clients. I’ve also built myself into a better team player by working in a relaxed corporate environment with a great group that’s eager to teach. The only thing I wish I could have done different with my internship experience is applied sooner.

"What Has Your Internship Allowed You To Do?" Spring 2015 Interns in the Co-op Program Respond

Aaron Jackson - Junior

Double Major in Financial Markets & Economic Analysis and Applied Mathematics

This is my desk at Cerner Corporation, where I have worked for last year with the Global Mobility team. We are responsible for relocating associates throughout the world and by doing this, I have gotten the chance to work with a great team. My goal going into an internship was to be introduced to a corporation and start to understand what I should be expecting when I graduate from college. I believe that I have accomplished this goal.

 

 

Anna Mincher - Senior - Accounting Major

 Working at the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority allows me take concepts I have learned in the classroom and practice them in a real world setting.  I am able to get first-hand experience with working in a government funded organization and broaden my knowledge of governmental accounting. Growing up in Kansas City and interning at Arrowhead Stadium has allowed me to incorporate my hometown pride into my work which keeps everyday fun and interesting.

 

 

 John Bahlinger - Senior - Corporate Finance & Accounting Major

 Working at the Hamilton Retirement Group has given me the insights on what it takes to become a financial advisor. In the picture above, I am filling out our retirement income plan. I am gathering financial information from a prospective client to complete this plan. This shows individuals what they can expect to live off depending on what they have saved in their different retirement accounts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith Williams - Senior - Exercise & Sports Science Major

My internship working the Rockhurst University Athletic Training staff has been a great experience and has given me a glimpse of what it is like to work as an athletic trainer. Working with college athletes on a daily basis has been great experience and is a career I would be interested in pursuing after completing this internship. The Rockhurst Trainers have been very helpful and have taught me a lot about the field over the course of this semester and I am very grateful for the chance to learn from them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicholas Borders - Senior - Accounting Major

Here I am entering invoices into the accounting system, which is the most time consuming part of my tasks. It is amazing to see how far I have come from last year to this year. I remember when I first started, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. Now, I hardly get stressed and have to ask very few questions. I feel that I know the people I work with very well and can really relate to them.