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.
Our “My Summer Internship” series highlights these unique experiences, showcasing how students translated classroom knowledge into real-world success.
Teresa Surlis, Class of 2025 M.S. in business analytics and information management, spent her summer as a marketing data analytics intern at AAA Club Alliance.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you pursue it?
Surlis: I discovered the opportunity on LinkedIn and pursued it because it offered a unique way to bridge my undergraduate background in marketing with the business analytics skills I am developing in my graduate studies.
Lerner: What was the most exciting task or project that you completed?
Surlis: I was most excited to complete the intern capstone project with my fellow interns which focused on ways to improve the digital experience and better engage Gen-Z customers.
Lerner: What did you learn from the internship that you think you wouldn’t have learned elsewhere?
Surlis: I gained hands-on experience working with large, complex datasets and querying information from multiple sources, developing the ability to uncover trends and insights that directly informed marketing strategy. I believe this is a skillset I would not have been able to build as deeply in a classroom setting.
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Surlis: I applied the technical expertise I developed at Lerner, particularly in SQL and Excel, to complete daily tasks of collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data while ensuring accuracy and completeness.
Lerner: Did you face any challenges during your internship? If so, what was the issue and how did you overcome it?
Surlis: One challenge I faced was working with BigQuery, a data warehouse designed for analyzing and processing large datasets at high speed. Although I had experience with similar technologies, I had not used this platform before. To overcome this, I proactively sought guidance from colleagues with more expertise, asked targeted questions, and applied their feedback while practicing on real datasets. This approach not only helped me get up to speed quickly but also strengthened my ability to adapt to new tools and collaborate effectively.
Lerner: What are your career plans, and how do you think the internship will push you closer to your professional goals?
Surlis: My career plans include pursuing a role as an analyst or consultant, where I can combine my technical and analytical skills with strong communication and problem-solving abilities to deliver data-driven solutions. This internship will push me closer to that goal by giving me hands-on experience applying analytical tools to real business challenges, strengthening my ability to translate complex data into actionable insights, and refining my collaboration skills.