Major: Marketing, Spanish
Minor: International Business
Hometown: Mountain Top, PA

How did you learn about this opportunity?

During my time researching potential internship options, I saw a posting by Polaris online and spoke with them at Fall Career Days. I learned more about the opportunity through existing employees and felt that it would be a good fit.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

As an intern, I focused on the development of On Road Vehicle (Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot) marketing strategies in international markets. Keeping process improvement opportunities, future sustainability, and cost effectiveness in mind, my main successes included: evolving the international owners' group strategy to ensure continuous growth and centralized expansion, devising new product launch tracking and revision procedures to accelerate future internationalization, orchestrating communication and asset management between multiple international teams and agencies, and redesigning the sales training smartphone application structure to decrease cost and augment dealer education. I also traveled to an Indian event in Springfield, Massachusetts to experience the brand's following firsthand. Although I worked on the international side, it was neat to see how the North American team operated.

How did this experience impact you academically?

My internship altered my way of thinking and has allowed me to bring new ideas to the table in each of my classes. In my international business courses, I relate more personally to the subject matter because I have lived through some of the topics and seen how they affect companies. From a marketing perspective, I was able to apply many of the concepts I learned in class to business problems on a daily basis. My Penn State background allowed me to be successful at Polaris, but the experience I gained at Polaris will propel me even further forward at Penn State this year.

My Penn State background allowed me to be successful at Polaris, but the experience I gained at Polaris will propel me even further forward at Penn State this year.

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

Working at Polaris allowed me to gain a better understanding of cross-cultural business environments, experience a passionate consumer base, and further develop a diverse marketing skill set. In the future, I hope to work in international business long-term. This experience was the first stepping stone in making that career dream a reality, and I anticipate that my future endeavors will allow me to increase my knowledge of the general field. Ideally, I will work domestically and manage branches of a firm in Spanish speaking countries. In any case, my internship this summer gave me clarity and insight into what I want to work towards after graduation.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

Yes, I would. Interning at Polaris taught me a great deal about my work style and allowed me to grow professionally. The company places value on offering a real internship experience with projects crucial to operations.