Mallory Kreider developed research and project management skills by pitching an internship to develop nutrition information for a local business.
How did you get your internship?
I was able to land my internship in a very unique way. I had applied to several internships and unfortunately didn’t get good news. I needed an internship to graduate so I kept an open mind and didn’t get discouraged. I passed by a shop called PopHeads on University Boulevard and approached the owner about possible help he may need that could qualify me as an “intern.” Luckily, he had some nutritional research and nutritional information that he needed researched and developed for his business. That is how I was able to get the internship I did.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and/or begin their internship?
Going into an internship for the first time can be intimidating and scary. I know I was very nervous. As other students search for and begin their internships, my best advice would be to keep an open mind. Having an open mind and not becoming discouraged is ultimately what led me to getting the internship I did, rather than giving up. On the other hand, I never thought nutrition or the food industry would be for me, but how would I ever really know if I never tried? Having an open mind could allow you to discover more possible career paths you may have never considered before.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you for the internship experience?
The Applied Humanities major coursework helped prepare me for my internship experience and beyond in a multitude of ways. The major coursework not only taught me about transferable skills, but also helped me build more. In other words, I became aware of useful skills I already had and was able to work on others. This was through a ton of collaborative work as well as individual work and assessments. The specific course PAH 383 Pre-internship: Building Career Readiness was also vital in being prepared and confident for this experience. With all of this being said, I was also able to take on the somewhat unique perspective of ‘everything is a learning experience’ during my internship time. This attitude is also thanks to my Applied Humanities major coursework.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
During my internship experience, I spent my time working on one major project, which was researching and calculating nutrition information for individual servings at this establishment. PopHeads is a fairly new business so this was a project that hadn’t yet been completed. While working on this project, I was able to collaborate with my internship supervisor and also a fellow UA student later on in the experience.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite and the most meaningful part of my internship would have to have been developing the internship alongside my supervisor. It was my first time having an internship opportunity and his first time having someone as an intern. We were able to make this experience possible with a lot of communication, collaboration, and understanding. It was a very cool and memorable experience that benefitted the both of us.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
This internship had a lasting impact on me and my college experience. It is one thing to learn something in a class, but it is a whole different thing to go out and apply the knowledge. The collaboration and time management skills will be improved for when I move forward with my career. And the impact of my internship experience will also be kept through the connections I made.