Evan Isaacs ‘10 - After arriving back from Ecuador on June 6th, I would have given anything to return. What I learned there was invaluable. I was able to immerse myself in a different culture and was forced to adapt, and I loved every second of it. I thought it was going to be pretty hard topping that four week experience, but through the help of Tracy Williams '84 I knew from the get-go that I was about to embark on another journey very different from my foreign tour but still very beneficial to my future.

The past five weeks I have been interning for Mr. Williams in the health insurance industry. He is the founder and CEO of three independent TPA's, better known as third party administrators (an organization that processes insurance claims or certain aspects of employee benefit plans for a separate entity): Wabash American Benefits, YourBenefitPlan, and Verus Health.

Out of the three successful companies, the one that really sparked my interests was Verus Health. Verus has been providing authentic health insurance consistent with Catholic teachings for over nine years. This means that they do not offer abortions, sterilizations, contraceptives, domestic partners, or certain fertility treatments in their plans.

One of the major projects I've been assigned for Verus is to cold-call Catholic colleges and universities in Indiana and surrounding states, and speak with a representative who manages their health insurance plan in an effort to convince him/her that Verus Health is the right way to go. While Mr. Williams was giving me specific instructions on what the objective of the call was, I was feeling confident...really confident; however, the first few calls turned out to be quite daunting. I guess I somehow forgot that some people just weren't going to be interested. I'm definitely not a fan of being rejected. After a while, though, I got the hang of it and became comfortable talking to the employees in these schools' finance and human resources departments. These calls really served as a good learning tool. Usually, not everyone is going to say yes, but this just means that you have to keep calling.

If there is one extremely valuable thing Mr. Williams has taught me over the past five weeks, it is that you must have a strong contact database which you can ultimately use to help your business. Along with making cold calls, I have also created a detailed annual survey that we will send to all Catholic colleges and universities.

It seems like every day there is something new to do. Just to give everyone a taste of what I've done besides make cold calls and create surveys for Verus, I have also drafted a letter to Catholic bishops, calculated percentage difference in discounted claims, created multiple Facebook pages for the companies, scanned claims, file, and much more. This "real world" opportunity has allowed me to step back and look at what it takes to own and operate your own business.

Although Ecuador was a blast, I would not take back this vital experience. The educational tools acquired from this internship will help me pursue my goals in business/healthcare when I graduate from Wabash next May. Just a heads up to students who are looking at obtaining one of these internships next summer: the first Friday, bring doughnuts to work for everybody. It's such an easy way to make friends in the office!

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reginald Steele '12 - My experience as an intern in the small town of Crawfordsville has been crazy.

Beginning the adventure with my Career Services Internship, I had several tasks to complete with Adam Miller the other intern in our office. One of my first tasks in the office was to complete the Myers Briggs, which is a test that matches careers to personalities. Upon my results, I thought that the test was crazy. The career fields that I was suggested to be an elementary school teacher, flight attendant, foot doctor, and restaurant manager.  After wondering how I was paired with feet, children, and planes, I came to the realization that I am a loyal person that loves to serve others. I then decided my future career is to become a Food Network Star. 

Also during these trips, I experienced my first major league baseball game with the Cubs in Chicago, then, a follow up game with the Rockies in Denver. I enjoyed both games; however I enjoyed the Rockies baseball game more because I was featured on the big screen twice. I danced to two of Michael Jackson’s hits including P.Y.T. and Don’t Stop ‘til you Get Enough. Now, that was truly crazy!

As one of the Project Management Interns, I have learned to plan for the worst, but only expect the best. Each day, I expect to make mistakes; however, I plan to correct those mistakes and improve my efficiency.  This internship has helped me to develop professional skills in an office environment as well as add my own style and character. All in all this has been a great experience that has been crazy from day one.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kaleb Hemmelgarn '12 - This summer has been one filled with a lot of fun and a lot of work. After completing the Business Program two weeks ago, I began my internship with the Economics Department here at Wabash College.  More specifically, I have been helping Professor Christie Byun research the economic value of Sugar Creek. 

I had the opportunity to visit the Montgomery County Fair.  While it wasn’t the same as my fair back home, it was a lot of fun.  And of course, everyone loves fair food.  Anyways, I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer as much as I have.  While it has been busy, I don’t regret a bit of it.  I wish everyone the best of luck and look forward to seeing everyone soon. 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seth Flater '10 - For a majority of people in Indiana this time of the year is fondly known as County Fair Time.  Since I am a 10 year 4-H member, I usually spend this week watching 4-H livestock shows, eating some sort of crazy fried food (Fried Oreo’s are the Best), and riding one of the many carnival rides.  For the first time in the last 14 summers I will not be doing any of that……

Instead this summer, I am pretty much doing the complete opposite thing.  For the last 5 weeks I have been living in Chicago working as a summer intern for Accretive Insurance Agency.  This means my days are filled with words such as premium, self-insured retention, workers compensation, and commission, as well as lots and lots of numbers.  To most people this probably sounds really boring, but to me it sounds like another opportunity to learn more about the insurance field and how my Math Degree can be useful in my future career.  Last summer I was an intern for a large insurance provider in Indianapolis working in the Group Benefits Division.  While both my summer internships have been in the insurance field the current internship experience has been drastically different from the previous one.  Accretive is a small insurance broker run by a Wabash Alum.  Working for Accretive has allowed me to see first hand the difference between a small growing business and a big established company.  The main thing I have learned is that working in a small business means you have to be ready to do a lot of different tasks.  No day is the same, you constantly have to be on your toes and ready for anything.  While here my jobs have included; researching insurance companies, researching new insurance products, helping to write PowerPoint presentations, working on Excel templates, inputting invoices into databases, and running errands for people in the office.  Each day I am learning new things, and helping the company in some new way.

Not only has this internship taught me a lot about insurance and being a broker, but the internship has allowed me to experience first hand what it is like living in a big city.  The first couple weeks were an absolute adventure.  It might come as no surprise to you reading this that Chicago is in no way like Pittsboro, IN.  I had to learn real fast about public transportation and the fast paced culture of the city.  With minimal problems I have been able to adapt, and could actually see myself living in a big city one day.   The only thing I have yet to master is the art of honking excessively at every car that even takes a millisecond too long at an intersection, but with time I hope to one day gain this skill. 

While part of me has missed Indiana County Fair Time, I have replaced it this summer with the Taste of Chicago, Fireworks at Navy Pier, and working as an intern in Chicago.  I am thoroughly thankful for the experience I have gained from working here.  This internship, which was made possible by the Small Business Internship fund as well as helpful Wabash Alumni such as Munawar Ali and Terrence Butler, has showed me that my Wabash Education has equipped me to succeed not only in Indiana, but also in cities such as Chicago.

Posted by Ryan Stephens at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Wichlinski '11 - Upon my arrival at Wabash, I was introduced to the many pillars which support the framework of a Wabash education. I constantly heard rumblings of an extensive and generous network of Wabash alumni who were very keen in looking after the next generation of Wabash men.

After a summer spent working in the prestigious Fellowship Program of Todd Rokita ’92, Indiana’s Secretary of State, I can now attest to the insurmountable level of knowledge, leadership, and kindness alumni can potentially provide and the value of spending my summer engaging in career-cultivating activities.

The Fellowship Program itself is predicated upon giving 5 undergrad students from around Indiana the opportunity to experience the plethora of responsibilities that are bestowed upon Indiana’s Secretary of State. Many constituents in Indiana are unaware of the diverse divisions which are under the leadership of Secretary Rokita, ranging from the Business Services to Elections to Car Dealership Services.

The agenda for the summer consists of nearly 3 months of rotating around five interwoven divisions which operate under the Secretary of State. Spending time in each department allows us interns to engage in the day to day activities that each individual division partakes in. An environment such as this translates into a unique and enriching educational experience each day, without many of the mundane activities which are stereotypical of an internship position. My experiences as a Fellow have ranged from performing constituent services in the Statehouse office to sitting in on a meeting with Secretary Rokita and the Chicago Chinese consulate.

Furthermore, I am greatly extending my network of communication by establishing relationships with those from which I am learning. I have already had the honor of being able to meet with such dignified officials as Supreme Court Chief Justice Shepard, Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman, and Attorney General Greg Zoeller, among others. These closed-door meetings have been just as enlightening as I would expect them to be.

Working alongside the dedicated employees of each division ensures me personal contact with those who provide tremendously valuable insight and comprehension. We were even given what you might deem “front-row seats” to the budget crisis that took place within the General Assembly, which received approval just hours before a government shutdown was to occur. Fortunately, legislatures were able to come to an agreement before the Fellowship Program was disrupted, as failure to pass a budget would have resulted in 33,000 government employees, including myself, to be furloughed.

Tangible and intangible benefits aside, I cannot overlook Wabash’s multidimensional contribution to this summer internship. From the aforementioned alumni basis to the Coons Public Intern Grant which I received to defer the costs of living in Indianapolis, I am evolving as a Wabash man and citizen in ways which cannot be captured with words. Simply enough, these feelings of distinction and pride completely overtake me as I walk through the breathtaking Capitol building at the end of each work day, contently listening to the echo of my dress shoes on marble floors and reflecting upon the value of what I had accomplished that day. 

In Photos, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita '92, Wichlinski (in purple tie), and fellow intern Pete Hewitt '10.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Paul Musielak '10 - I have already had a number of great learning experiences at Signature Graphics, and have even been involved much more in the selling process of fleet graphics than I expected to be. As an intern, I was really only planning on making copies, answering phones, or filing paperwork, but it has been far from that!

Two weeks ago, I was able to make a trip with my supervisor, Jeff Cunningham, to Cincinnati, OH to watch a salesman in the field at a few meetings. The salesman had several meetings with prospective clients, and I was able to see how an introductory sales meeting should occur.

I have extensive knowledge in Microsoft Office products, and I was able to finally see how my countless hours on Word/EXCEL/PowerPoint could be used in the real business world, especially in the technique of persuasion. It was a very interesting process, and I never really understood how psychological selling is until now.

There were lessons that I have learned about doing business with others that I never even considered being important. Business relationships seem to be a very important topic at Signature and I have really come to the understanding about how crucial long term business loyalty can help any business succeed. I will be doing some role playing with my supervisor in which I “cold call” him (call a customer for the first time) and try to get an appointment. Then I will sit down in a simulated sales meeting in which I pitch our services for his business. Exercises like this, even though they are only with my well-known supervisor, still get the blood flowing and are often very exciting.

It will be an interesting couple of weeks coming up, especially with another sales trip that I am taking with him to Denver, Colorado. Here I will be sitting in on more sales meetings with him, and watch our selling process in action.

This has been a great experience for me, and I believe a lot of the lessons I am learning in dealing with sales can be used in any type of business. This internship has really helped shape what I am looking to do after graduation. I feel that sales, although a little risky when fresh out of college/new territory/and only a certain amount of sales training, could be a very successful approach to a career. A person looking to do something in the sales field, I feel, must be very entrepreneurial and self driven because of how you are never actually in the office and basically running on your own schedule. However, with its very intense coursework, I believe Wabash can definitely prepare one for career like this.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adam Miller ’12 - While the majority of Wabash men head back to the comfort of their homes (and their mother’s cooking), I have been living off of frozen TV dinners and interning at the Schroeder Center for Career Development, here on campus.  Having only completed my freshman year at Wabash, I was a little hesitant to pursue an internship at first.  Looking back now, I can confidentially say that this was one of the best decisions that I have made professionally.  Through interning with Career Services, I have come to realize the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity that becomes available to us.

Reggie Steele ’12 and I are both interning here this summer.  We have 3 main projects that we have been working on throughout the summer, and several smaller ones.  The projects we have worked on so far include: planning and attending trips to Chicago and Denver to meet with over 20 different employers and alumni for our video project, organizing the 4th Annual Wabash College Community Fair, and creating a project for freshman orientation.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel and meet some very interesting alumni, and a few non-alums as well. 

In addition to the major projects, I have learned the ins and outs of Career Services.  If I could only give one piece of advice to the students at Wabash, it would definitely be to start using the services available to you as soon as you step foot onto campus as an incoming freshman.  I’m beginning to see that Wabash is an extremely competitive environment full of outstanding students and young men willing to do whatever it takes to go one up on their competition.  There are so many resources out there to aid you in your career search, all you have to do is take initiative and find it.

The video project that Reggie and I are working on is going to be very beneficial to current students and alumni.  The purpose of our video is to educate the men of Wabash on their career progression.  We have met with over 20 men and women and asked them a series of questions relating to their personal career progression, in the hope that anyone who watches the video can educate themselves on a variety of different career possibilities.  We have met with doctors, lawyers, musicians, consultants, pilots, the CEO of the Colorado Mountain Club and many more.  Once we review and edit the video it will become available on the Career Services website. 

Overall, this internship has been an incredible opportunity for me personally, and I strongly recommend it for any student eager to gain invaluable experience that can be utilized throughout their career at Wabash.  Make sure to mark your calendar for the Community Fair on September 1, and also stay tuned for more information in regards to the video!

Posted by Ryan Stephens at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matt Kraft '10 - My internship is with Partners In Housing Dev. Corp. We basically develop properties that need renovations and then manage them. Our type of work is particular to us because we work heavily with special needs populations like people who are chronically mentally ill, persons with drug addictions, and homeless people.

I have learned a lot of things while here at Partners this summer but the foremost is that the people who work here do more than their job titles indicate. We have site managers for every one of our properties and I have seen these managers go above and beyond what their jobs titles indicate on multiple occasions. It isn’t uncommon to see these managers outside talking to their tenants or checking up on the tenant if they haven’t seen them recently. The energy and effort I see these site managers give reminds me of why I wanted to explore the field of non-profits. This is the spirit of caring that I believe should be applauded more often. 

I have also learned a wealth of knowledge about how not-for-profits get funded. From week one Willie Matis, fellow Wabash intern, and myself were plunged into readings about Federal funds that would be available for entities that demonstrated well thought plans and objectives for city improvement. I was given research into NSP2 funding (Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2). I had had no previous experience with NSP nor grant writing, so everything I read was new information. Reading these funds availability reports and funding guidelines will prove helpful if I choose to continue in this field. 

This internship has truly impacted my view on non-profit work. The people in our office are very knowledgeable about their fields and also have large amounts of experience outside of non-profit work that they bring with them. It helps me realize that you must have more than good intentions to make a difference in a highly competitive world. This new information has lead me to further consider the direction in which I must head with my education in order to better impact communities and people. Thank you, Partners and Career Services for this opportunity!

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Willie Matis '11 - This summer, I am working at a non-profit organization in Indianapolis called Partners In Housing Development Corporation. Partners is a housing developer that works with special needs populations such as the chronically mentally ill, people with HIV/AIDs, and/or those who struggle with substance abuse. Most of these populations at some time in their life will become homeless, and Partners works to develop affordable housing in order to provide shelter for the increasing amount of homeless persons in Indianapolis. Working at Partners In Housing Development Corporation this summer has made a large impact not only on the way I work but also the way that I think. 

In the past, I have worked typical “summer” jobs that have asked me to simply learn one skill and apply that to different situations within the day, but working here has allowed me to use ALL of the skills that I have acquired from past experiences and the curriculum at Wabash. It is nice to finally see some good coming from the hard work put into studying for finals, writing for C&T, and taking notes during class. I catch myself at least once a day realizing that I just completed a task that I would not have been able to do without going to school. 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Birrer ' 11 - During the course of this summer, the internship has been very interesting, and it has really been an amazing opportunity to see many different facets of a private medical practice. This has been my first opportunity to observe and work in a private practice, and Indiana Health Group and Dr. Chris Bojrab, Wabash ’89, have been amazing at giving the other interns and me the opportunity to see all the different sides of the practice and learn a little bit about Psychiatry.

Specifically, this summer I have been busy researching and compiling a spread sheet on common psychiatric medications, doing “guerrilla” marketing, and observing both how the practice operates and patient appointments.

My first major project involved researching and compiling a spreadsheet of 93 of the drugs prescribed by the practice. The list included many common ADD, bipolar, and depression medications as well as many other drugs. For the list, we (the other two Wabash interns, Paul Wilson ’10, Alan Tom ’12, and I) researched the half-lives of the drugs and searched for placebo-controlled study of the side-effects of the drugs. It was interesting to compare drugs that treat the same condition by examining the half-lives or duration of action. We also researched placebo-controlled side-effect studies to further compare the drugs. To finish the project, we compiled a spreadsheet that allowed for easy comparison of the half-lives and side-effects.

The second major project we have started this summer has been marketing for a new Doctor at Indiana Health Group, Dr. Angela LaSalle. This has been possibly the most interesting part for me outside of observing appointments. This is my first time experiencing the business side of medicine. When she first sat down with us, we talked about the demographic to which she wants to market and how we were going to accomplish this, and it was a great learning experience when I realized how integral business and marketing is to starting and maintaining a successful practice.

To help Dr. LaSalle out, we have been contacting drug representatives and starting to get her name out to major drug companies. Additionally, we compiled a list of local pharmacies, health food stores, and gyms to try and help her establish some local contacts. Learning to think of medicine as a business has been a great educational experience.

Finally, my favorite part of this internship has been the day we had the opportunity to observe patient appointments. It was incredibly interesting for me to see how the Nurse we were shadowing interacted with patients with many serious conditions ranging from Schizophrenia to Autism and Down’s syndrome. It was very interesting to see her ask pointed questions and observe their behavior to see if their medications were indeed working. This was my first real time observing psychiatric patients, and it was fascinating to observe the appointments.

Overall, this has been an amazing internship. The people in Indiana Health Group and especially Dr. Chris Bojrab, Wabash ’89, have been extremely nice, and they really welcomed the three of us from the beginning. It has really been a joy to work for the practice, and I appreciate Lilly making this internship possible through the grant.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alan Tom '12 - When I first came out to Indianapolis I had no idea what to expect. I was going to live with my aunt and uncle and work under a psychiatrist who I had only met once before. I didn’t know what I was going to be able to do as an intern, or where I was going to work at the office but the people here at Indiana Health group have been more than nice and accommodating for me in my first internship experience from Wabash College.

On my first day under Dr. Christopher Bojrab M.D. ’89 I was set up in my own back office with my own desk, windows, and deck access. It was really cool and apparently meant for another practitioner who had decided not to move into it yet.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cameron McDougal '12 - Most people view a dental office as a bunch of plaque scraping, spit sucking, tooth drilling people who love what they do and are a little strange for wanting to do it. Well that’s what I’m all about and I’m proud of it. I’ve interned and worked in dental offices and clinics since I was a freshman in high school and I’ve loved every minute of it. I got a new perspective this summer however; one that opened my mind to a completely different outlook at the career that I’m striving for.

Every day from 6:45 in the morning (ya that’s early) to 1:00 in the afternoon, I spent time with Dr. Matt Creech, Dr. Brent Mutton, and Dr. Kevin Wright at Fort Wayne Dental Group. These three doctors and their staff taught me everything I need to know about the business side of dentistry.

The main area of a dental office where business takes place is between the doctor and the patient in the chair. Something has brought that patient to your chair, so you diagnose and offer treatment. It’s the part where you offer treatment that you get your business. You have to communicate to the patient what needs to be done…sounds easy. But your values rarely match up with the patient’s values. I spent hours and hours in the room between the doctor and the patient, just listening to how the doctor presents his prognosis. Not an easy task.

Dr. Creech taught me dental terminology in order for me to better understand what he is talking about and so that I could help communicate with the patient. There is a very extensive and complex list of terms that I could spend hours explaining, but what I did with those terms is more important. My typical day consists of reviewing patient records and following those records to the doctors hand, the front desk for scheduling, and the insurance companies for collections. I am able to record new patient records in the form of full mouth charting and periodontal charting: aiding the hygienist. I am also able to process and record bite wing, PA, and Panoramic X-rays. By doing this, I am able to follow exactly what is going on to keep information between the doctor, staff, and patient on the same page.

Dr. Creech rarely refers patients to specialists, but he does on occasion. Every day from 1:30 to about 6:30, I spent time in a specialty office. These offices included an endodontist, a periodontist, three oral surgeons, and an orthodontist. These offices rely on referrals from other dental offices for business so I followed many patients around to these different specialties.

For three days in June, I had the opportunity to attend a conference given by the dental consulting firm, Pride Institute, in Detroit. Besides the complimentary 5 star hotel, I learned things about dentistry that most dentists don’t know. Pride teaches dentists how to run their practice as a small business. I learned how much money flows in and out of a typical dental office, and what percent of your net profit goes towards staff, supplies, and yourself. It was an amazing experience to interview some of the dentist at the conference and have them tell me where they are making mistakes in their practice, and how they plan to fix it.

With the skills learned from Pride, I went back to Dr. Creech’s office and compared their office numbers with what pride said was good for a dental practice. They didn’t match, but Fort Wayne Dental Group is more than four times more efficient than the average dental office in the country…according to the numbers and percentages presented by Pride. I had an amazing experience going through Fort Wayne Dental Group’s percentages towards costs and interviewing staff and doctors to see if I could figure out why Fort Wayne Dental Group excels that much more than other offices. And what I found is that it all goes back to the communication aspect that I talked about previously. I’ve been in dozens of offices observing, and there is a very clear difference between them and Fort Wayne Dental Group. I learned from the best in the business. They pay much more attention to the smallest things, such as just smiling and shaking a patients hand after treatment. And it makes all the difference in the world. They don’t have a set cost for certain procedures or certain insurance plans (made it more difficult for me). They customize each patients treatment plan and communicate that plan face to face with the patient.

The skills and knowledge I gained this summer have made me more motivated and excited about entering the dental field. I had a great time everyday and never did anything that was the same. I learned business related skills that will help me in any career, but they were also catered to me specifically and will greatly help me with my career. From staff and doctor’s meetings, to patient interaction and self-anesthetizing myself, I had a great opportunity this summer!!!!

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trevor Counceller '12 - I’ve started this piece three times now, and each time it tends to go from 200 words to 500 words to 1000 words, and it never seems like I have enough space. I think it’s representative of my time at JGA: I really can’t put everything I’ve done in to this tiny space. But I’ll try anyway.

This summer, I’ve worked at Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates, a philanthropic fundraising consulting firm. In English, that means they advise non-profits (current/previous customers include Wabash, Butler, St. Vincent’s Foundation, the Indianapolis Zoo, among other prominent organizations) about how to conduct large fundraising campaigns—anywhere from a few million to a over a hundred million. 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Elijah Sanders '10 - Any Wabash student who decides to spend their summer in Crawfordsville is probably going to have mixed feelings about it in the beginning. It is rather easy during the school year to get consumed in our school work and not explore the community beyond the local Wal-Mart, Steak N’ Shake, and my personal favorite Beijing China. When I talked to some of my friends who had previously stayed here during the summer they said it was boring. I do not think I can share those same feelings. I have found my summer in Crawfordsville to be an eye-opening experience that has proved to be interesting, fun, and more often then not, exhausting.

My internship is through the Montgomery County Historical Society. I am the research intern at Lane Place. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience because my work is a lot like classes at Wabash. My supervisor does not stand over my shoulder all day to make sure that I am doing my work. Instead, she gives me my projects and expects them to get done. Just like Wabash, though, I can ask for help or guidance at any point so that I know I am heading in the right direction.

I have found the most interesting aspect of my internship has been giving tours of Lane place. The museum is full of history and it is fun to go through and tell stories about Henry Lane’s political speeches, the Republican National conventions he played a huge role in, and the conflicts he had with Democrats that defined the pre-civil war politics. I always like to add that this was when the Republican Party stood for the non-extension of slavery. Studying all the political battles that led up to the Civil War really makes it sad to see the abysmal state our current government is in.

It is interesting to read how much people were willing to sacrifice to keep the Union together and how much was sacrificed to secure the freedom of every individual in our country.

There is also a connection between Henry Lane and President Lincoln and many of the artifacts in Lane Place display this. From a locket of Lincoln’s hair, to a wreath from his casket, to a cookie jar he ate out of, the connections are impressive, sad, and even a little humorous for our guests. I was shocked to find out that Lane and Lincoln were good friends and Lane was a vital component in getting Lincoln nominated for president. I was impressed to see that this type of influence came from the small community of Crawfordsville, Indiana. It made me think what else I had been missing while I was isolated on the Wabash campus for the past three years.

Beyond my work, I am keeping busy exploring the community beyond the city limits. I have formed a relationship with my bicycle in which I can hardly go a day without riding it. As I ride to the outskirts of town, I see the beauty that is not just Crawfordsville, but the Midwest. There is a certain appeal that the trees, corn fields, blue sky, running water, and a fresh breeze give you that no other place can offer. Although I may be only 10 miles outside of town, I feel like I could be a world away. It is an often relaxing experience that can allow for some personal reflection about my day and what the future may hold for me as I enter my senior year at Wabash.

Along with my training for the next swim season, I have also been doing some fishing in Sugar Creek. Wading through the Creek on a cool summer day is a joy that only a few things can replace. Especially when you know exactly where that small mouth bass is, cast the line, and hook it. We have heard that the fish you catch near Darlington are good to eat, so after we catch some fish sometimes we head back to my house and fry them up. I went to Lake Holiday with a friend one Sunday afternoon where we caught 15-20 bluegills and one catfish. So we took them home, filleted them up, made an amazing batter, and fried them in a frying pan. It was the best fish I have ever had in my entire life.

Although work, swimming, and fishing have been entertaining, the most fulfilling thing I have done this summer is hanging out with some of the College Mentors little buddies. I have taken my little buddy to the pool and the movies and it is nice to be able to hang out with him during the summer. I have also been helping another little buddy with his reading, which has proved to be a wonderful experience. Although it can often be frustrating to help a child learn how to read, I have found it to be fun as well. Watching the improvements he has made and being able to play like a kid again often takes away any stress I was feeling before I get there. A mentor is something that I have had my entire life and I find it to be a privilege to return the favor.

So between work, training, fishing, and mentoring my day can be often exhausting. Even so, I find myself going to bed each night excited about doing it all over again the next day. My hat goes off to the Crawfordsville community for being a great home for the summer. Between exploring the country side, seeing the amazing lightning bugs, meeting people throughout the community, I cannot help but believe this is not a bad place to live. Although I will still be leaving after I graduate, I know that I spent my time wisely here. I have had experiences these past three years that I will never forget and they have helped to shape me into the person I am today.  

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Graham Youngs '11 - I think most college kids are looking for three things in a summer job, and in no particular order: a source of income, career experience, and a change of pace. I have done my best to satisfy these categories and go a little beyond. 

This summer I am landscaping Mon.-Wed., Fri and Sat with a small crew in my hometown of Zionsville, IN. This job in itself satisfies the three previously mentioned categories as I am working 10 hour days, learning an arsenal of manual and business related skills, as well as spending time in the great outdoors. Perhaps most interesting however, is the fact that I am the only American on my crew — I work with four experienced landscapers (Juan, Jose, AJ, and Hugo — affectionally referred to as Gordo). Originally from Tijuana, my coworkers speak varying degrees of English, but all work furiously and have a great sense of humor. I was extremely excited to learn that I would need to use some Spanish, as I will be spending the upcoming fall semester in Spain and need to brush up on some of my conversational Spanish skills.        

On Thursdays I put my landscaping routine on hold when I drive to Indianapolis and have the fortunate opportunity to be interning with Primary Colours, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to integrating visual artists and the community. If I were to describe Primary Colours in one word it would have to be - well - cool.  I work in a colorful dual-function office/boardroom on the third floor of the Stutz building with woxy radio playing the future of rock and roll in the background. 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kyle Bender ’12 – This summer I have had the opportunity to learn more about insurance. I have plans of one day attending law school and sought an experience that will help broaden my business and legal experience. Through the Lilly Small Business program, I was fortunate to be able to work with Indiana Farm Bureau this summer at their Delphi office.

A typical day for me involves meeting with potential customers and explaining to them the benefits of our company. I have also drafted numerous letters to be mailed to our client base informing them of new services and upgrades available. These tasks have allowed me to improve my oral and written communication skills.

Through the guidance of my supervisor, Mr. Kyle Groninger, I have learned how to write an insurance policy. I have gone on adventures to inspect property, and see if it is deemed “insurable”. I have even been able to observe court proceedings involving stolen items that were insured by our office.

I feel that this internship has also allowed me to see how the financial crisis is affecting everyday people. I think that at Wabash, it is easy to consume ourselves in our studies and activities, and we can forget about the 10 percent of the working population who can’t find jobs right now. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do this summer is call customers and inform them that their premium will be going up the next month, only to hear that they can no longer afford insurance because they or their spouse have lost their job. In small rural towns such as Delphi, these encounters occur frequently.

 I am very thankful to Scott Crawford and Angie Cook-Smith over at Career Services for allowing me this experience. I have learned a great deal, but am ready to return to Wabash in the fall, with another reason to appreciate the opportunity to be in school!
 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clay Zook  '10 - When I glanced through the list of internships that were available last year, I realized I had allowed three years of Wabash opportunities to slip on by me.  I will be a senior next year, but this is the first internship that I have taken advantage of.  Because of this single experience, I would say that I regret not ever trying for an internship prior to this year.

I am interning with the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis as an Arts Administrative Intern.  I was not quite sure what this entailed to be completely honest.  I would tell everybody that it involved some marketing and fundraising, but I could not give a detailed description.  Now, I understand that in a small not-for-profit theatre such as the Phoenix, I can throw any preconceived notions out the door.

Don’t get me wrong, I have learned about marketing and fundraising.  A great deal in fact; however, I believe that there is more to the administrative side of theater than I had realized.

To start things off, I have learned the everyday tasks such as answering the phones and selling tickets which is expected.  Then there is the fact that I have helped work on their upcoming season including; attended an event of possible shows, provided my input on different shows, and researched information for one show that could be used by the actors, marketing manager, director, or anybody else that could be involved in the play.

Fundraising has been a fun part of this experience because of the different fundraising events that I have been able to help out with which varied from a small eloquent evening with food and drinks and ended at the theatre with a performance of the show Octopus to a microbrew festival known as Brew-ha-ha.  At the smaller event, I was able to take things slower and mingle with the guests to see how they were enjoying themselves while with Brew-ha-ha, I felt as though I did not have a chance to slow down.  I ran around on a consistent basis and felt as though I was squished half of the time due to the number of people that were present.

I have also enjoyed the marketing side of the theatre.  Up until this point I have helped create a display for the show Octopus and even called recent patrons to the theatre and reminded them about the show that is playing, but my big project that I have been working on recently is the student season pass.  Last year was the first year for the Student Season Pass, and this year, I have continued on the project. 

Working with the Phoenix theatre has been an experience that I would not trade due to the experience and the overall fun time that I had working with the different members of the staff.  Through them, I have been able to learn a lot about art administration that I know I will be able to take with me into a career.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ian Scales '10 is having a different summer experience than many students. He is sailing up and down the Fox River near St. Charles, Illinois, as a crew member on a riverboat. You can read about the experience here.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gary James '10 - As the Morning Edition Intern at National Public Radio, I have the distinct privilege of loving going to work every day. I wake up before 6AM so I can be in Chinatown by 8, and sometimes I have to come in earlier or stay later. But like watching Star Wars or reading Catcher in the Rye, it never gets old.

Like a strange combination of a mechanic’s apprentice and a groupie who has been invited onto the tour bus, I learn the ropes as I go along from people who have been climbing for years. I work literally a few feet away from Steve Inskeep and Juan Williams and a floor below Nina Totenberg and Ari Shapiro. During story meetings, I sit diagonally from a TV screen used for video conferences with Renee Montagne and the Morning Edition team at NPR West. I’ve also met people like Christopher Hitchens, Kathy Griffin, and contributors to Food, Inc.

It’s heartening to see how much effort NPR editors, producers, hosts, and reporters exert not just to produce interesting and polished radio spots but fair and probing pieces. During studio interviews, I have seen them work to make sure listeners don’t get lost in the weeds and to make sure alternative viewpoints are being represented.

In Photos: Upper left, Gary at work editing audio cuts. Lower right, Gary with part of the NPR Morning Show crew. Comedian Kathy Griffin is in center in pink blouse.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Kyle Nagdeman '10 - This summer I have been given the opportunity to intern at the NCAA in Indianapolis, specifically working with the statistics group in the Championship division. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) for those who do not follow sports or know very much about college athletics is the governing body for college athletics for schools such as Purdue to small colleges throughout the U.S.

The NCAA conducts championships for 23 different sports from football and basketball to water polo and skiing. I became aware of the internship through our fine Sports Information Director at the college Brent Harris, who knows and worked with some of the statistics staff at the Final Four. It is an internship that the statistics group informs SID’s and athletic directors in close proximity to Indianapolis so they might pass it along to those interested in their respected institutions. Though it was not alumni sponsored I still have a connection to the opportunity given to me by the staff and Brent Harris who wrote a recommendation letter for me.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arturo Medina '10 - My interest in library science began in our own Lilly Library. I started working at the library in the fall of 2007. I enjoyed it so much that by the end of the school year I approached John Lamborn, our head librarian, about working at the library during the summer. During that summer I continued to gain experience in stacks management, circulation, and added a new interest in the library by working with Beth Swift in the Ramsay Archives. It wasn’t long before I started asking John and Beth about the librarian profession.

During the school year John and Beth helped me by introducing me to resources that listed different internship positions in the librarian profession. In fact, Beth put me in contact with Mary Williams who I am now interning for at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. Through the Kemper Grant I am now able to experience another area of the book world.

Working in the Fine Books and Manuscripts department at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has allowed me to participate in the preparations for the July 28 auction. With Mary’s help I have learned how to catalog, maintain the large inventory, which you can now see online http://catalogues.lesliehindman.com/asp/search.asp?st=U, and come into contact with unique items. One of the most interesting items, which is not a book, is one of the guns that shot John Dillinger.

This internship has allowed me to continue to explore the book world and come into contact with individuals who are excited about books. It has also exposed me to the business side of books. I would not have considered this exciting area before this summer. The work I have done this summer has deepened my interest in library science.  

Many thanks to John, Beth, Mary, Mrs. Fox, the Career Center, and the Kemper Grant who all played an important role in my wonderful internship experience.

Posted by Ryan Stephens at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark Schultz '10 - No two days as an intern at Connecta Corporation this summer have been the same. From meeting with contractors and lighting specialists to working with employees from every department of the business, this summer has been full of unique challenges.

Connecta is based in Indianapolis and manufactures precision parts used mostly in the aerospace industry. Rising Wabash senior Nate Schrader is also interning here for 8 weeks. Having variety in my daily work allows me to be more productive and feel like I am really putting that liberal arts education to work. Alan Pyle '67 is the founder of Connecta and has employed Wabash interns for several years.

There is no denying that the first week of the internship was pretty rough. Getting up at 7 a.m. every day seemed like torture and the thought of doing it for the rest of my life was even worse. On top of that, I was doing the kind of jobs that keep internship bound college students up at night, including updating lists, checking inventory and organizing files. Fortunately, my sleep schedule adjusted away from that of a college student and we took care of those mundane tasks, which enabled us to work on projects that require significantly more critical thinking.

So far this summer I have helped design, implement and train employees on an entirely new process for Quality Control. Working with different departments, I have attempted to understand all aspects of the shop computer program that Connecta owns licenses to, but does not fully utilize. Nate and I have been working on making all their processes more efficient by incorporating them into this program. It is our hope that these changes help direct workflow and promote synergy. We have effectively integrated the Quality Control, Inventory and Scheduling departments into this database program.

At the beginning of the summer, we were given an entire list of projects. Many of those projects have been completed and the rest are all in the works. The computer security camera system has been repaired, a new website for selling our parts has been set up and work is under way on a revolutionary new way of lighting shops, warehouses and commercial businesses.

One of my tasks was researching LED lights to be installed in our shop. These lights save energy and last longer than the typical halide or fluorescent lamps that we are all used to seeing. Upon finding nothing that matched what we wanted or needed, the owner decided to explore the possibility of creating his own lighting solution. It was a perfect example of seeing something that is missing in the market and trying to fill that gap. It will be exciting to see how this vision progresses. The summer has been challenging, but it has been a great opportunity to learn about business and make a little cash money. We have been doing our best to take care of every project like a boss.
 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark Thomas '10 - This summer I have been able to intern in Muncie, IN at Energize-ECI. Energize is a not-for-profit economic development regional organization funded by both private and public investment. Our mission is to foster economic development in a ten county region in east-central Indiana. Through marketing, networking, and grant writing, our organization has been at the forefront of attracting such businesses as Nestle and Brevini USA (wind power) to locate their factories in our area. So far this has been a great internship for me. To tell you the truth, I have felt nothing of the quintessential “intern” since my time here, but rather an equal partner in the organization.      

Being a political science major, I am constantly discovering how both business and politics are intertwined in the process of economic development. At points I find myself doing grant research for a private company, and then turning to call up the office of an elected official asking for his/her support on the project. I have also found a need to understand and study government legislation, both at the state and federal levels. By better understanding the legislation behind some of these grants, I better understand what our elected officials want out of the passed bill. Many of the alternative energy grants I have been researching come out of Obama’s economic stimulus plan. Through looking at the plan, I have also found several grants that do not seem to have any connection to economic development.  

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Robert Fozkos '10 - As this summer began to enter my sights I realized I needed an internship to help guide my decision-making process over the next few months. After talking with my Faculty Advisor, Dr. Karen Gunther, I decided it would be best to apply for internships which would help me use my Economics minor. In doing so we agreed a positive would push me into the currently uncertain business world, and anything but such an experience would encourage me to continue onto Psychology graduate programs or in the direction of the business world.

The application process seemed to be very tedious as the members of the Wabash College Career Service Center helped me refine my resume and develop a cover letter. Without the help of these individuals, specifically Mr. Mike Kerr, Mr. Scott Crawford, Ms. Betsy Knot, and Mr. Kyle Dunaway, I would not have been able to create the appropriate materials to apply for an internship and this coming fall for a job. Additionally, they helped me prepare for the interviews I participated in for a variety of the internships I for. The internship opportunity I accepted was for Logistics Sales and Marketing Internship with Freight All Kinds, Inc., in conjunction with the Small Business Internship Fund.

This opportunity initially caught my attention because of the company’s location, Denver, Co. What adventurous young man from Indiana would not love to head west and spend 8-weeks with the mountains at his finger tips? During my interview I was told by my employer, Erik Ness ’94, this internship would not be like many others in which I might spend a significant portion of the internship going through an orientation, making coffee, and running errands. He said he would treat more like an employee than an intern, and only if I was up to the challenge should I accept the internship. Being a Wabash Man I thought there was no better way to put my first three years of Wabash to the test then accepting an opportunity with a lot of responsibility and even higher expectations.

 A typical day at Freight All Kinds, Inc. (FAK) begins as I make check calls. A check call is completed by calling a trucking company or truck driver, asking for the driver’s location, and checking to see if the trip is going smoothly. My previous work experiences and interaction with different people at Wabash College prepared me to successfully communicate with the individuals I check call. Most of the check calls I make are to a truck driver who has been up all night and is rather cranky or their boss who cannot get a hold of a sleeping driver. Being able to decipher how to talk with the individual helps me to attain the information I need more quickly. Additionally, I usually try to leave them with and upbeat comment because pleasant drivers and their happy boss leads to them being more inclined to go above and beyond when we ask them to do so.

Next, I schedule appointments for the loads Mr. Ness has cover, by covering a load Mr. Ness has acquired a load of freight from a producer, in our case mainly a watermelon farm, and finds a driver or trucking company to transport the freight from the producer to the buyer within the time frame established by the buyer and producer. While making check calls and scheduling appointments, I am also busy on the internet searching for freight to get our driver back to the southwest. This is the most frustrating and rewarding part of the internship. This is also where the logistics aspect of the internship occurs; I have to balance a trucks ability to move a good in a certain amount of time from one place to another and then have them load another product while limiting the time in between loads and maximizing our profit on each load we take.

To calculate how much money the carrier, Mr. Ness, actually takes home you take the total price of the load and multiply it by .76 because of each dollar being paid to the carrier 76 cents go to the truck to pay the driver, cover fuel costs, and maintain then condition of the truck. After the Rate of the load is multiplied by .76, the product is divided by the total number of miles it take for the truck to get from its starting point, which 99% of the time is not the shipper, to the buyer. These tasks were all thrown at me very quickly during the first 2 weeks of the internship. As one can tell an individual with poor organizational skills, inability to effectively manage their time, or work quickly, the average call I make when acting as a carrier last roughly 50 seconds, would be up a creek without a paddle as Mr. Ness likes to say. Ideally the rate we would like to achieve would be between 1.10 and 1.30, but in the current economic recession the transportation industry has felt the crunch. I would say my average rate for the loads I find is somewhere between .95 and 1.10. Mr. Ness has told this is not bad because currently rates are awful and most likely not recover until “the time you are out of graduate school.”

As I began to more efficiently handle these tasks Mr. Ness has given me more responsibilities. I mentioned earlier I act as a carrier, the person who transports the good, most of the time, but recently Mr. Ness has given me a few loads to cover as a broker. The broker is the individual who negotiates rates with the producer for which the load will be transported. The loads I have worked on had previously defined rates. I then search for a trucking company to transport the loads for us for the lowest rate possible so I can maximize profit. Mr. Ness describes this as the real business side of the industry because profits can increased by brokers who understand the market, route of the load, and number of trucks looking to transport a load from the starting point. Both sides of transportation industry have very small margins of profit; thus a large number of loads must be transported for the profits of each load to be worthwhile.

The internship has also provided me with a great amount of insight about what it takes to make a small business run successfully. Although Freight All Kinds, Inc. has 50 to 60 agents across the country each acts as a separate entity that reports back the corporate head quarters. The best way to describe the situation would be a franchise similar to Mr. Ness’s favorite Coffee Starbucks. Each one operates on its own, but ultimately is held to the standards of the corporate office. Mr. Ness has explained to me the overhead it costs for him to run his branch which operates out of a small three room office.

He employs two people full time, hired another individual to work as a broker during the busy melon season, and two summer interns. He explained if he tried to keep a staff this large all year he would be in the red from late October until early April. Mr. Ness showed me charts which are astounding as to the volume of freight his branch transports during the summer. He has also explained how he must not only budget his office expenses but also his home expenses as he can barely generates enough profit during the winter to pay overhead costs. These informational sit down talks have provided me with a large amount of insight as to what it takes to properly run a successful small business.

Even though I have gained a lot of valuable work experience, the most insightful and informational aspects of the internship occur when I sit down and discuss the business Mr. Ness. My internship with FAK has been a great experience as I have learned a lot about what it takes for a small business to be successful, specifically in the transportation industry. This opportunity has strongly encouraged me to enter the very uncertain business world. If this internship was offered in the future I would strongly recommend it to any Wabash student who I thought were up to the task. I hope one day I am in a similar position like Mr. Ness where I can give future Wabash men the opportunity to work and learn from me.

In Photos: Interning in Denver allows a trips to the Rockies, above left. Robert, on right, also visited the US Olympic Training Center.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Peter Robbins '12 - A week ago was the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market & Festival, a huge event that brings in around 150 Native American artists from all around the country and around 8,000 guests and art collectors. For the first four weeks of my internship at the Eiteljorg, I spent the majority of my time preparing for this event, and I am proud to say that the weekend turned out great. 

The weather cooperated as far as rain is concerned, although Saturday was uncomfortably hot and humid. As for running the festival, the museum was able to recruit a huge amount of volunteers, so many that some were left with nothing to do (which is a problem any not-for-profit dreams of having). 

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Cody Grady '10 - As a rising senior theatre major, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Fine Arts Center creating art and honing my theatrical talents. However, I’ve always been told that the academic theatre is not the same as the professional. Wishing to get some real world experience, I applied for a Lilly Grant and was lucky enough to find myself a technical internship at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis.

Posted by Howard Hewitt at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)