Students explore summer and school year internships to gain real work experience.

Senior Elise Johns

What internship did you get this summer?
I (am) an intern to Congressman Luke Messer of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District.

How did you get this internship?
I got the internship because one of Congressman Messer’s staff members used to work with my dad. They were looking for interns. I expressed interest, was interviewed and got a position.

Why did you want to take this internship?
I took this internship because I’ve always been interested in government and politics, so it seemed like a good opportunity.

Do you think internships are a good idea for high school students?
I think internships are a great idea for high-school students. They look great on résumé and set you apart from the crowd because most students don’t seek out internships until they are college-aged.

How can students find internships like yours?
Simply expressing interest goes a long way when trying to get an internship. Find something you like and pursue an internship in that field.

Do you think it’ll prepare you for your future or is it just a means of making money?
I think it will definitely prepare me for my future. Working in a professional environment was a great opportunity. The internship was unpaid; I just did it for the experience.

What opportunities has it presented you?
(It) got me interested in political science and presented me networking opportunities.

Junior Sami Gruning

What is your internship title?
Nordstrom fashion board.

What are your specific jobs?
It is more a learning experience to get a foot in the fashion world. You learn a lot about what it takes to run a business and many job options you could go into in fashion.

Are you interested in a career in fashion?
I am interested in going into fashion merchandising.

What opportunities has it presented you?
With being in the fashion board, there are scholarships for being in (the program). I have met lots of people that work at Nordstrom.

What have you learned?
From this experience, I have learned how many things go into running a retail company, and you have to know your customer and  (the business) in order to have a successful business.

How much of a commitment is it?
We meet twice a month.