Summer is always filled with opportunities for internships and finding the right fit can be a challenge.  That didn’t faze three Wittenberg students from seeking the experiences. Zach Cole, Shannon Ingles, and Chase Beach all had adventures that they love sharing with their Wittenberg colleagues.

Zach Cole is a senior Marketing major with a Chinese minor. On campus he’s involved with Beta Theta Pi, is a tour guide to prospective students, and is Professor Sunny Jeong’s research assistant this semester.  This past summer he interned at Meritec, located in Painesville, Ohio, and also traveled to Japan.

Meritec manufactures custom electronic cables and connectors that are used in a variety of products such as medical equipment, Apple products, and military ventures.  The exportation of their products is highly regulated for safety issues, and making sure that each package meets expectations can become tedious.  That’s where Zach came in. This summer he helped select and design a software program that eased the exportation process. He created a manual for future employees to follow while also training all current employees on the program.  He currently is in the process of applying for the “Food Export Internship” at the Ohio Development Services Agency, something he’s described as a long term goal.

Zach spent a week in Japan to participate in a Global Social Venture Competition.  Zach and his teammates designed a social venture called Second Wind that provided jobs and career aspirations for youths that were currently not highly educated and unemployed. They were first runner up and received the popular vote. 

Senior Marketing major Shannon Ingles is involved with Wittenberg’s Marketing Association, has cared for a 4Paws dog, and is involved in Tau Phi, the business and economics honor society. Shannon spent her summer with the Sterling Rice Group. She entered an essay competition with fellow Wittenberg students and tied with Chase Beach.  Her essay focused on why she was crazy, and they liked that about her.  During her time there, she worked with brands such a Sleep Number, Pepsi, and Hershey. One specific project was working with Sleep Number and how to setup a room to best sell a new product.

Shannon interned not just at the SRG, but she continues to work and intern with the American Diabetes Association and the Downtown Dayton Partnership. Both organizations she discovered through Wittenberg’s Career Service’s Facebook page.  Shannon likes to “jump into something new” all the time that has led to the multiple organizations she’s worked with.  She gets to experience the “different facts in business through internships.” All the different experiences have led her to have a positive attitude about reaching goals through hard work.  She has discovered a love for non-profit organizations, and maybe one day will have her own.

Chase Beach is a senior entrepreneurship major who is involved in Fishenberg, the Springfield Community Thanksgiving Feast, and a member of FIJI.  His essay about traveling to California and seeing new perspectives through internships had him tie with Shannon for the internship.  He took the chance and went out to Colorado for the summer to work with Boulder Brands.  He spent his mornings focusing on the social media marketing for the brand Glutino.   He created events such as “Gluten Free International” which showcased how to still participate in a wheat-fill world while remaining gluten free. In July he created an event called “Camp Gluten Free” which targeted women with gluten-free children and how to manage their diets on a daily lives.  Chase also learned and employed software programs that would send out preplanned tweets and create contests via social media. After intense marketing in the mornings, he spent his afternoons analyzing data about sales after demos were held at stores such as Whole Foods.

This fall Chase plans on being an intern at his own company.  He views himself as a problem solver, not a consultant.  He plans on “adding value to small businesses” by providing advice on how to improve or innovate on their own marketing style.  It’s something he’s passionate about and wants to do in the future.