Throughout the summer and 2025-26 school year, 22 students in UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics are comprising the initial class of the Lerner Co-op Program, a new year-long work-based learning initiative launched with a grant from the Delaware Workforce Development Board.
The program is an exclusive one-year, paid internship/co-op opportunity designed for rising juniors and seniors enrolled in Lerner College to gain meaningful work experience, develop their professional network, and apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. All while earning credits toward their degree and receiving monetary compensation from their employers.
Sara Spoltore, a senior hospitality business management major and event management minor, is serving as a facilities consultant and event planning intern with DuPont. In this Q&A, she details what she has learned and challenges she has faced in her role.
Lerner: What have you learned from your internship so far?
Spoltore: So far, I have learned a lot about event management from a “consulting” standpoint. Through Lerner, I’ve been introduced to events through the point of view of the event planner, while here I am more of a coordinator for a venue so to speak. It’s interesting seeing how each space is different (e.g. some need A/V setup, different standard configurations, etc.) and I learn something new from every event we book. So far, this internship has given me something greater than a lecture ever could. Seeing how my knowledge from the classroom translates to the real world is an amazing experience.
Lerner: What has been the most exciting/interesting task you have worked on?
Spoltore: Definitely – the CANgineering food drive that benefits the Food Bank of Delaware. It wasn’t a typical project I would be working on, but instead, a creative way to collect donations through a food structure building competition. It really helped introduce me to people I wouldn’t normally be working with and allowed me to think outside the box, finding creative new ways to build our structure out of food.
Lerner: Has there been a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Spoltore: I apply what I’ve learned through Lerner every single day! My position is split between facilities consulting which is how we can better market our site to new and existing tenants, and event planning which consists of booking and coordinating our event spaces. Both job functions require knowledge that I’ve acquired through Lerner classes like Introduction to Marketing and Event, Meeting, & Convention Management to name a few.
Lerner: Have you faced any challenges during your internship? If so, how did you overcome them?
Spoltore: Some challenges I faced as a new employee were getting to know my coworkers and learning “how things are done” in the workplace. To meet new people, I jumped at every opportunity to go to events like our Tree Jamboree or Hand Safety Event where employees gather. I also took the time to connect with other interns who felt like me and were unsure of how to get started at a new company, It also took a lot of practice to learn all our safety policies and what procedures to follow when doing a task. Especially in events, no two requests are ever the same!
Lerner: How is this internship enhancing your experience as a Lerner student? How do you think it will push you closer to your professional goals?
Spoltore: This experience enhances my experience as a Lerner student by allowing me to apply what I’m learning to the real world. I am so lucky that my role was not only to work in event planning, but I also get the opportunity to work on my skills in marketing. Through both functions, I know I will have projects I can show to future employers that will stand out. I firmly believe that having the experience of working full-time at a recognizable company like DuPont will benefit me greatly in my career.