While summer may be a time for rest and relaxation, many Eastern students take it as an opportunity to gain work experience via internships, allowing them to apply lessons learned in the classroom to the real world.

William Sibley ’24, a computer science major, completed an internship with Route 7 Masonry Supply, where he performed various communication and inventory functions. His work consisted of managing the company’s website and working on their social media, as well as taking deliveries and managing inventory.

“I was also responsible for receiving payments on accounts, creating fabrication orders and interpreting customer data for marketing purposes,” he said.

“While many large corporations have the resources to keep their inventory system up to date, many smaller businesses do not have these resources,” explained Sibley. “This means that we have to use inventory numbers as guidelines and check certain stock instead of completely relying on information from our system.”

“By having these new learning experiences, I was able to become more independent at my position over time and take on more responsibility than I initially had,” he said. This allowed him to have a more direct role with customers, to develop methods of problem-solving and to develop clear communication skills. “This position has also given me important insight into what it actually takes to sell a product to a customer.”

Allison Arling ’24, a business administration major concentrating in marketing, worked with Morris Group Inc. Her internship duties included various communication and organizational functions.

“It was my first office job with a focus on marketing,” Arling said, recalling the experience fondly. “It was very eye-opening to see how companies find and target markets to sell their products.

“I loved my time interning," she said, “and can see myself pursuing a career with similar characteristics to my current internship.”

Communication major Noel Teter ’24 worked as a journalist for The Borgen Project, a non-profit that fights global poverty through U.S. legislation. His work consisted of researching and writing articles about global poverty, specifically in developing nations.

He described that the intention of such work was to “focus more on solutions than problems to highlight the fact that alleviating global poverty is attainable.” Additionally, Teter was also responsible for contacting local congressional officials, drawing their attention to anti-poverty legislature. His final objective was to raise at least $500 through a personal fundraising campaign for the organization.

He explained that, prior to his internship, he had not considered working in politics. He said, “It is very helpful to adapt my skills in writing, research and content creation to a context I had previously not explored.”

In the future, Teter would like to work for a content team. His work with The Borgen Project has allowed him to explore what this work entails, as well as the struggles that may come with doing so remotely, which taught him to budget his energy. “I've learned that I get more tired when I work at the desk in my room than when I work at the public library in my town.”

Political science major Katherine Escalante '25 completed a summer internship with the Yale Conservation Scholars' Ocean Project. Escalante coordinated the project's youth initiative and resources.

Escalante was excited to "participate meaningfully in advancing The Ocean Project's mission." She was able to refine her preexisting skills and learn new skills that could be applied in a professional setting.

"My time at The Ocean Project has given me a real sense of accomplishment," said Escalante. "I have reaffirmed that I would like to do something similar in my future career."

Business administration major Arian Kennedy ’25, who worked for Whelen Engineering Company, said that their internship offered a “glance into high-level strategic decision-making that takes place regularly in the business world,” as well as “the dynamics of those meetings.”

As a business analyst, they looked to identify areas where clarity, searchability and inconsistency could be improved. Kennedy described their role in the company as providing “a fresh pair of eyes.”

“I was able to sit in on a few high-level meetings and was able to glimpse the workplace dynamics and peer-to-peer interaction that might take place regularly within the company,” Kennedy said. “Additionally, I was able to make a couple friends during my brief time there.”

Business administration major Douglas Cassarino ’24 interned with Westfair TV-Audio, where he worked with inventory and surveyed customers. “It was a main objective to keep track of the fast-moving inventory as it was received, stocked, transported and used. This helped our company to cut unnecessary costs.”

Cassarino explained the importance of his work, saying it helped “increase my understanding of how business is conducted in the real world.” He believes the opportunity has given him an understanding of what is required to maintain and grow a business. He continued, “Holding yourself to a standard and committing to doing a good job is key to retaining clients and gaining new ones.”

The application of his knowledge allowed him to build confidence in himself and his abilities, and to develop connections with those he worked with. “I have benefitted from the many classes I have taken at Eastern,” Cassarino said. “And this hands-on introduction to post-grad life has given me the knowledge I need to succeed.”