Each summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics gain important real-world professional skills through internships. In each installment of this series, you’ll hear firsthand about how one Lerner student secured their internship, what their experience as an intern was like and what comes next!
Samantha Matthews, Class of 2020, majoring in hospitality industry management, has spent her summer in the Washington D.C. area as a food and beverage intern at the PM Hotel Group.
Q: How did you find out about this internship?
Matthews: I heard about it through a current employer.
Q: What is the most exciting task that you have undertaken in your role?
Matthews: I was invited to work and attend the annual Food + Drink and Sales Conference in Florida which was very interesting.
Q: What did you learn through this internship that you don’t think you would have learned anywhere else?
Matthews: I learned how many different analytics go into the food and beverage industry.
Q: What is an example of a time you were able to apply something you learned at the Lerner College to your role?
Matthews: I was working on a project involving revenue and net operating income (NOI) and was able to reference past powerpoints from classes to create it.
Q: What has been the most fun part of your internship?
Matthews: Getting to visit different properties and meeting a lot of different people in the industry.
Q: How do you think this internship will help you with your professional goals?
Matthews: This internship has given me a better understanding of the industry which will help me with any future positions I may obtain.
Q: What are your plans or next steps once this internship is over?
Matthews: I will apply these new skills and knowledge to my classes senior year as well as when I begin applying for jobs.