Majors: B.S in Psychology and B.S in Labor and Employment Relations

Hometown: Merida, Venezuela

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I found out about this opportunity through the department of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

My responsibilities were to partner with the directors in creating strategic incentives of engagement that aligned with the leadership framework and assisted in delivering projects to accomplish the team´s goals. I assisted in creating guides, manuals, visuals, presentations, and training sessions in addition to contributing with solidifying the leadership model and framework that had been recently launched in the company. The projects were mostly focused on organizational development, change management, secession planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, training, and diversity.

How did this experience impact you academically?

Leadership has been a reoccurring theme in my LER and PSYCH classes. However, it was during this internship when I understood that a leader is most successful under organizations with a defined framework and structure. Day and Zimmermann has recently made an effort to create this kind of framework.  For this reason, it was a great moment to learn and be part of this team as they were in the process of building the frameworks, programs, and structures for the organization.

Employment Law (LER 201) and Race, Gender and Employment (LER 136) came back to me when talking about diversity strategies (like reinforcing the role of women in the workforce). Day and Zimmermann does a good job when it comes to diversity in the workplace, but they want to make sure it remains as one of their core values and not just a recruiting guideline. One of the diversity initiatives I participated in was creating a mentoring program that focused on pairing mentors and mentees based on their developmental needs and diverse backgrounds. This experience helped to reinforce concepts that I learned in previous classes.

Day and Zimmermann has a leadership model that is based on the competency framework of Lominger -Korn Ferry international. I was lucky to receive official training in their competency program focused on learning and development strategies, and this allowed me to have a better understanding of the framework.  I also learned a lot more about the research and structure of competency models.

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

I am currently deciding between going to grad school and entering the work force. As an international student, it is difficult for me to find visa sponsorship for full-time employment in the United States. Therefore, I am considering pursuing graduate studies in I/O Psychology with a focus on assessments, personality testing, leadership models, and competency frameworks. After completing grad school I would like to pursue a career in consulting for a couple of years and ultimately, in 10 to 15 years, have my own consulting company based in my home country, Venezuela.

"I was treated as a professional, my opinion was valued, and my work was recognized as a contribution to the team."

Would you recommend this experience to other liberal arts students? If yes, why?

Yes! Interning with Day and Zimmermann for 14 weeks was an incredible experience and it went beyond my expectations. I was treated as a professional, my opinion was valued, and my work was recognized as a contribution to the team.