Each summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics gain valuable professional-level exposure through internships. This year, young scholars were able to traverse the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic by pursuing an array of internships, externships and other professional development opportunities. Each profile of this series will detail a Lerner student’s experiences working on business-oriented projects.
Grace Fritz, Class of 2023 operations management and marketing double major with a minor in entrepreneurship, spent her summer interning as a marketing intern at the World Trade Center Institute.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you choose it?
Fritz: Handshake! The job description fit everything that I was interested in gaining experience in. Also, the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) has a great reputation and I thought it was a great opportunity to learn more about global business from such a wonderful organization.
Lerner: Did the coronavirus pandemic impact your internship search and working experience? If so, how?
Fritz: Unfortunately, I was remote for the entire summer, but I was still able to have the same experience in gaining skills and interacting with the WTCI community. I will also be invited back in March to help with one of the upcoming events that got postponed from September due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Lerner: What did you learn from this internship that you think you would not have learned elsewhere?
Fritz: The most valuable experience I gained from this was a global perspective. I learned a lot about how businesses interact within the greater international community as well as the local Baltimore, Maryland area. Having been able to experience this from one of the most respected and well-known organizations, the World Trade Center Institute, I do not think I would have had this experience elsewhere.
Lerner: What is the most exciting task or project that you have done or are currently doing in your role?
Fritz: I am thankful for my experience in working on the print materials for the International Maryland Business Leadership Awards. I worked with Adobe Creative Cloud Programs to help develop print materials for various aspects of this event. This was the most exciting task because I knew the work I was doing was critical to the smooth execution of the event.
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Fritz: Communication was a big thing I have been able to apply to this internship from Lerner. Through Lerner, I have been able to learn a lot about communicating in different manners. I’ve been able to communicate with my managers in the marketing department but I have also been able to effectively communicate with others in different departments in order to achieve the goals and tasks that were at hand.
Lerner: How do you think this internship will aid you with your professional goals?
Fritz: This experience has been beyond amazing because it has set me up to be confident in other roles that I may pursue. I have been able to learn so many skills that will allow me to succeed in future roles. I think the learning curve will be much easier for me because of this previous background. I also know that all the skills and experience I have gained from this internship will allow me to stand out to other employers.
Lerner: What are your plans or next steps in your career once your internship is over?
Fritz: As this marketing internship has been my second internship, I would like to pursue more opportunities that relate to other areas of my academic interests. Being a double major, I am currently pursuing opportunities that focus on operations management so that I can gain more experience in this area. I also think that my marketing foundation is strong and I will be able to apply a lot of what I have already learned in the areas of operations.