This summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics discovered new avenues for professional preparation and practical hands-on experience. Lerner College students pursued an array of remote, in person or hybrid internships, externships and other professional development opportunities. From MBA scholars to undergraduates entering their second year at UD, students across a spectrum of Lerner programs shared their experiences accomplishing an assortment of projects.
Each profile of our “My Summer Internship” series will provide a glimpse into one of these unique experiences and how students applied knowledge from their studies to be successful in the real-world.
Andrew Singer, class of 2024 hospitality business management major, spent his summer as a guest services intern with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you pursue it?
Singer: I found my internship through the Hospitality Business Management career fair. I thought it would allow me to gain experience in several departments in a large resort.
Lerner: What was the most exciting task or project that you completed?
Singer: I was able to complete a project in which I helped to redesign a part of the Hershey Lodge lobby which will be renovated this fall.
Lerner: What did you learn from the internship that you think you would not have learned elsewhere?
Singer: I learned how to interact with guests which is something I definitely would not have been able to learn how to do in a classroom.
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Singer: I was able to apply my learning in my internship when speaking to the accountants at our hotel where I was much more knowledgeable in accounting that I would have been if I hadn’t learned it at Lerner.
Lerner: Did you face any challenges during your internship? If so, what was the issue and how did you overcome it?
Singer: Some issues I overcame was when our entire POS went offline and we were forced to check guests in without any kind of technology using check in forms that hadn’t been used in a very long time.
Lerner: What are your career plans, and how do you think the internship will push you closer to your professional goals?
Singer: I plan to pursue resort management and the internship definitely prepared me by giving me real world experience.