Liberal Arts Major(s): Communication Arts and Sciences
Minor: Smeal Certificate
Hometown: Bala Cynwood, PA

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I had spoken with a family friend about the internship at a parents weekend luncheon for my sister's sorority. While there, I spoke with her friend's father who happened to be the marketing VP at Philadelphia Insurance and he spoke with me about the program and what it entailed.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

My experience thus far has been an enjoyable one. My coworkers are very helpful, always offering to answer my questions and my fellow interns are all good hardworking people who look out for each other even though we have only known each other for a short period of time. I have enjoyed the work that my manager has provided me with as well. It has been interesting because we have been given a group project that is to be presented to the office of the CEO in a bid to see what we have learned throughout our time working with the company

How did this experience impact you academically?

This experience has helped me to grow in more ways than I thought it would. At first, I thought it would be challenging to complete both my summer courses and the projects I was assigned at my internship. However, it ended up having the opposite effect. The time I spent managing my team and my schedule at work helped me to balance my life at home. And knowing I was coming home to more work helped me to balance my time more effectively. This experience has provided me with the ability to better manage my schedule which I find very important as I approach the end of my time at Penn State.

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

I am still currently unsure what my career goals and plans are, but I am looking forward to seeing where this path will take me. I always thought I had an innate ability to communicate with people which I thought would translate well to the marketing field. However, while I do enjoy the people and content I am working with there is something that still seems to be lacking. Maybe I have chosen the right field in marketing, but I may explore different career paths with in the field. While I am still unsure of my exact plans, I am confident that this time spent with Philadelphia Insurance will better prepare me for my future career.