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 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.
Grace Marburger, class of 2026 operations management major with a sales and professional selling minor, spent her summer as a logistics intern for Ikonyk Hills.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you pursue it?
Marburger: I found out about this internship through the University of Delaware’s study abroad program which took place in Brussels, Belgium. I pursued this internship because I was interested in learning about logistics because I did not have any exposure to it yet.
Lerner: What was the most exciting task or project that you completed?
Marburger: We got to go to a wholesaler warehouse.
Lerner: What did you learn from the internship that you think you would not have learned elsewhere?
Marburger: I learned about the different rules and regulations that are in place to import produce into the European Union. When I have a job in the United States in logistics, I will learn about our rules and regulations but I would not get a chance to learn about Europe’s.
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Marburger: I was able to use my ability to create spreadsheets to collect data and distribute it to other teammates. I also used my knowledge about pitching and working in different types of groups to build effective relationships.
Lerner: Did you face any challenges during your internship? If so, what was the issue and how did you overcome it?
Marburger: Yes, the people in Europe work much slower than we do over here, so it could be stressful at times having to wait on responses. I remained persistent and communicated as best I could to complete the tasks I needed to. At the end of the trip, a lot of work was accomplished.
Lerner: What are your career plans, and how do you think the internship will push you closer to your professional goals?
Marburger: I plan to go into logistics or some type of supply chain management. I think that having this internship has secured the idea in my brain that this is the right path for me and something that I will enjoy.