This summer, several students at Eastern Connecticut State University gained real-life experience and learned about themselves through internships. They left their internships in fields such as sales, sports management and insurance with greater knowledge of their prospective professions and of themselves.

Caleb Ennin ’24 of East Hartford interned with the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company this summer, supporting various organizational functions. Ennin is a junior who majors in Finance.

Ennin progressed through various tasks, culminating in a major project. “My internship responsibilities ranged from supporting various organizational functions to completing a capstone project,” he said, adding that the project was completed “with a cross-functional group and presented an advertisement to the senior management, which included the CEO.”

Ennin is appreciative of the “unmeasurable amount of experience” that he gained “from (his) colleagues and managers.” Lessons he learned include “the importance of taking the time to get to know people” and that work is not the only component of a job. “Work is an essential part of the job, but relationships within a job (are) what leave a lasting impact on someone’s life,” Ennin said. His career aspirations are to earn a master’s degree in business administration, obtain a CFP license, and become a financial advisor.

Noah Mihalko ’25 of Berlin interned with State Farm this summer, supporting various organizational functions. Mihalko is a junior who majors in Business Administration.

Mihalko listed his responsibilities as “establishing customer relations while making sure to follow up with all customers as needed regarding their insurance policies.” Mihalko also developed leads, scheduled appointments, identifying customer needs and marketing appropriate services and products.

Mihalko gained skills that will assist him in the professional world and beyond. “(This internship) has taught me to communicate better, as conversation is one of the most important aspects in business,” he said. “Even though you may not succeed on your first try, you must never give up.” Mihalko’s positive message aligns with his career goal to work for a company that makes a positive impact on the world.

Quinn Ernst ’24 of Westbrook interned with Venture Solar this summer, supporting various organizational functions. Ernst is a junior who majors in Business Administration.

“I was responsible for communicating with customers, managers, and coworkers to make the solar process as seamless as possible,” Ernst said. An important skill he learned is to “confidently provide focused customer service.” Like Ennin and Mihalko, Ernst gained more this summer than work experience. “This internship has challenged me to grow as an adult and helped me be more confident in my abilities.” His takeaways are “to stay positive and have fun no matter what kind of day you had on the job” and that “getting out of your comfort zone will help you to become a (stronger) person.” Ernst aspires to “help people save money while supporting renewable sources of energy.”

Carolyn Biel ’22 of Wallingford interned at DiamondZone this summer as an assistant administrator. Biel is a senior who majors in Business Administration. Of her duties, Biel explained, “I was responsible for following up with new business opportunities, facilitating master scheduling, programming travel accommodations, managing customer relationships, handling accounts receivable/payable, and assisting in the auditing of DZ’s QuickBooks.” This wide range of skills amounts to what Biel described as “what it means to own your own business.”

Echoing other interns’ sentiment, she said, “The most fulfilling part is watching young athletes flourish within this program.” As an aspiring coach and small business owner, Biel points to DiamondZone as the type of company she would want to work for. In fact, she was promoted to director of softball operations after her internship, increasing her role and work experience.