Summer learnin’
Internships make students
marketable for real world
By Kimberly Swartz
Staff Reporter
April Warford didn’t wish upon
a star for the most magical summer
of her life. Nor did she ask her fairy
godmother for a two-month Florida
vacation.
A good interview, a full resume
and a pleasant personality landed
the junior marketing major an
internship at Walt Disney World in
Orlando, Fla.
Warford says she went on the
internship alone in May and didn't
know exactly what to expect.
“When I was leaving I was cry
ing and scared,” she said. “But who
wouldn’t be, if they were about to
work for a Fortune 500 company?”
Warford is just one of more
than 225 students at UNL who par
ticipated in summer internships.
Marcia Phelps, associate direc
tor of career services and coordina
tor of the Student Employment and
Internship Center, said that intern
ships are a good way for students to
get hands-on work experience and
to get their foot in the door.
“They are an incredible experi
ence because a student becomes
' more marketable and they learn
confidence and success in the
workplace,” Phelps said.
Some internships are paid, and
m Act I I ATT aaIIaaac oil /ax \ r rturlanto
to earn credit for their work, she
said. Students usually work during
the summer before their junior or
senior years, but they should begin
{ to apply their sophomore year,
I Phelps said.
Many internships can be found
as close as Lincoln, throughout
Nebraska, across the nation and
even overseas, Phelps said.
For Warford, her journey began
in March when Disney representa
tives came to UNL to interview
more than 200 students for the Walt
Disney College Relations Program.
The program allows students to
take classes and self-study courses
related to their major. They also can
shadow’ Disney executives for a
day, she said.
And the price is right. Warford
said. She paid a $65 weekly fee that
covered housing and classes. Her
internship also included free
admission into all parks and dis
count prices in many stores and
restaurants in Florida.
Warford enrolled in a manage
ment class where she learned how
to run a successful business like the
Walt Disney World Co.
“I was able to see behind the
scenes and learn first hand how to
66
Its important to keep the pressure on.
Let the company know that you re
interested
Jason Leifert
KETV intern
market products and catch a cus
tomer’s eye.”
Warford said she expected to
learn more about management
while she studied in the Magic
Kingdom but she never thought she
would learn so much about herself.
“I became much more open
minded, patient and culturally
aware because I was working with
so many different people,” she said.
“It was one of the best times of my
life.”
Senior Jason Leifert found his
summer internship closer to home.
He only had to flip on the television
to watch his mentor, KETV meteo
rologist Bill Randby report the
weather.
As a meteorology and climatol
ogy major, Leifert has spent many
hours studying maps in class, but
working during actual severe
weather proved to be an important
lesson.
He observed meteorologists
tracking the weather. Randby
taught him to read maps, and
Leifert was videotaped practicing a
weather report.
“We were having crazy weather.
Thunderstorms and tornado warn
ings were constantly being issued,"
Leifert said. “Everyone w'as
stressed but they kept things under
control.”
Leifert began his search for an
internship last spring by sending
his resume to three Omaha televi
sion stations. Randby responded
and they set up a two-month intern
ship.
The key to finding an interest
ing position, Leifert said, is to be
persistent and apply at many com
panies.
“It’s important to just keep the
pressure on,” Leifert said. “Let the
company know that you’re interest
ed.”
Many students begin their
internship search like senior
Amanda Schluns did. The clothing
and design major enrolled at the
SEIC office hoping to find a posi
tion in retail.
At SEIC, Schluns found intern
ship listings and advisors that
could help her search for a position.
hventually, she set up a six
week internship with Kohl’s
Department Store. She worked as a
paid associate and developed a
training manual for new employ
ees.
Schluns also met with the
store’s district manager, and was
offered to interview in October for
a corporate position.
“I wouldn’t have the interview
without my internship,” she said.
“It was a great experience, and I
learned so much about the retail
industry.”
While many students seek out
internships for real life experience,
others turn to them hoping to find
career direction.
“Internships help students con
firm if they are in the right direc
tion, and if not they can redirect
before it is too late,” Phelps said.
Junior Heather Davis wants to
find her course as she continues to
intern at the Lighthouse, a place for
high risk teen-agers.
The psychology major hasn’t
decided what field she wants to
specialize in, but she thinks intern
ing will help her make that choice.
Davis spends her time at
Lighthouse talking and playing
pool with teens. She tries to keep
them busy so they will stay out of
trouble and off the streets, Davis
said.
The internship has been an
“eye-opening experience” for
Davis. She said she was raised in a
different environment and knew
that not everyone grew up with a
supportive network of family and
friends.
“I hear people complain they
have such a hard life because they
don’t have this or that,” she said.
“But they have everything com
pared to these kids who have to deal
with gangs and drugs every day.”
Davis has her time at
Lighthouse rewarding, and she rec
ommends internships to other stu
dents.
“They can be a lot of fun, and
you learn so much that you could
never learn in a classroom,” Davis
said. “It is an experience I will
never forget.”
Student football tickets sell out slower
I
From Staff Reports
Going, going, gone.
The entire allotment of about
8,000 student football tickets for
Nebraska Comhuskers home games
sold out July 20, about a month later
than last year, said John Anderson,
ticket office manager. Tickets went
on sale in April.
Tickets sold out quicker last year
because of the Huskers’ second con
secutive national championship.
“Coming off a national champi
onship always boosts sales,”
Anderson said.
Tickets remain for only two away
games. Tickets for the Nov. 8 game
against Missouri are $25 each and
the Oct. 11 game against Baylor are
$30. The games against Washington
and Colorado are sold out.
Tickets for the Oct. 25 migration
game against Kansas go on sale
Sept. 22-26. Tickets cost $40 and,
750 student tickets will be available
This season tickets for full-tims
students were the same price as las
season, $87.50. Students, unles:
they are married or have depen
dents, are allowed only one set o
tickets.
Students who bought seasoi
tickets can pick them up Monday
through Friday at the outside win
dow of the South Stadium. Full-tim<
status will be verified with studen
identifications.
Jf
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