Temple Student-Athletes Share Summer Internship Experiences

PHILADELPHIA - This past summer, Temple student-athletes were able to increase their networks and get hands-on industry experience in their respective fields. Holding internships with Merrill Lynch, the Philadelphia Union, the Democratic National Convention, the Fallston Group, and even on Capitol Hill, they were able to translate what they have learned in class and in their respective sports into their future careers. Here are some of the Owls' summer internship experiences:

Janine Simmons, Volleyball - Political Science Major - Democratic National Convention:
Simmons was a media correspondent for the Democratic National Convention with The Washington Center. Her job was to while taking photographs and conducting interviews with individuals who were involved with the Convention at the various DNC sites in Philadelphia. Simmons was able to attend Caucus meetings and even hear Bill Clinton speak at the Wells Fargo Center. This helped her to grow in the field of Political Science and Global Studies as she was able to meet delegates, senators, and other figures such as Governor Ed Randell, Attorney General Eric Holder, Today Show Host Tamron Hall, and DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry.

At the DNC, Simmons attended a number of academic seminars and gained a better understanding of the process surrounding the presidential election with topics such as Trade Policies, Women and the American Presidency, and Partisan Polarization.

"This internship meant a great deal to me. Not only was I able to represent Temple University as an intern with the Democratic National Convention and The Washington Center, but I was able to be a part of history. The history that Philadelphia has with the nation's political system is very rich, and I am still awestruck that I had the ability to be front and center. Now I can begin to utilize what I have learned so far at Temple in order to make a difference in the real world." - Janine Simmons

Rachel Barile, Lacrosse - Strategic Communication Major - Fallston Group
Interning for a crisis management/PR firm this summer, Rach Barile had the opportunity to be exposed to something different every day. She worked with the Fallston Group's strategic communication/marketing department and did everything from meeting with clients and discussing new social media plans to working on clients' new marketing plans. Additionally she was responsible for pitching stories to the media and writing press releases for the company's clients. Barile was also tasked with the responsibility of calling different Barnes & Noble's along the east coast to schedule book signings for her boss's new novel, The Art of Crisis Leadership.

Day to day tasks for Barile also included meeting new people that came into the office, seeing how we helped people deal with their different crisis, whether it be big or small, doing a lot of research for clients on their competitors, some administrative busy work, but most importantly just being hands on and getting the chance to communicate with people and help them get their stories out to the public.

"This internship experience meant so much to me. I felt like I was exposed to so many aspects of public relations, marketing and crisis management. I got to see what it was like from the inside and actually be hands on to help some of our clients. My internship allowed me to get to go so many different places and talk to so many people and it also pushed me out of my comfort zone in some different ways. I feel like when you think of interning you think sitting at a small desk, doing all the busy work. At my internship, I was treated as if I was just another employee, there to produce results and get the job done." - Rachel Barile

Michelle Walsh, Field Hockey – Strategic Communication Major - SEI Investments
A large part of Michelle Walsh' intern experience at SEI Investments was shadowing. She worked closely with her supervisor and had the opportunity to sit in on important meetings and conferences, learning just how to conduct herself in a corporate setting. Walsh was tasked with developing a presentation that would highlight a new feature the company would be launching, a competitive analysis detailing specifics of the opposition and organized a retention sheet for the company to follow. Her main project at SEI involved was researching a case study in which she and seven others had to present to board members at the end of the summer. One of the biggest challenges Walsh overcame during her internship was presenting in front of a large crowd. She spent countless hours researching a topic that was unfamiliar to her by speaking to several different people within the company. This allowed her to not only expand my network but gave her the confidence to step outside of her comfort zone.

"This internship experience truly enhanced both my resume and skills. I loved the time I spent at SEI. I got a lot of hands on experience within the corporate environment that will translate in my future endeavors. One of the most prominent aspects of my time there was being able to expand my network. I was able to translate my competitive attitude and work ethic from the field hockey field and into a corporate setting. This ensured that I will take to the lessons I have learned playing a D1 sport with me in my career."- Michelle Walsh

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David Fitzgerald, Men's Cross Country - Political Science Major - Capitol Hill
David Fitzgerald interned on Capitol Hill this past summer. Most of his time was occupied with attending congressional committee hearings and briefings. He was responsible for taking notes and briefing advisors on what was discussed in the meetings. Additionally, interns were asked to answer phones and give tours. Fitzgerald learned a lot this summer studying the legislative process. He even had the opportunity to sit at committee markups and was able see how everything progresses from an idea to becoming the language on a bill.

"This internship meant the world to me! It made me excited to be back on The Hill or with a different branch of federal government next summer to continue to learn. I owe the world to Congressman David Jolly and his staff for giving me this opportunity. From being front and center on CNN for a few hours to answering phones, I never stopped learning. It was a great experience all around!"- David Fitzgerald

Bionca St. Fleur, Women's Track - International Business Major- Merrill Lynch
As a Global Wealth Management Intern at Merrill Lynch, Bionca St. Fleur's day to day tasks surrounded client file management, assisting with customized investment portfolios and plans, and organizing a hierarchical system to separate clients by assets managed by Merrill Lynch. Since the financial industry is immensely regulated the majority of her responsibilities also included administrative tasks. St. Fleur utilized Salesforce, Wealth Management Workstation, gurufocus.com, and more to help personalize client financial plans. Lastly, she supported office initiatives by organizing a 5k race for a quarterly client event. Gaining real life exposure to the daily functions performed by certified advisors helped encourage St. Fleur's interest in investments. Learning about stocks, bonds, and other securities apart from what was taught in class in the Fox School of Business, helped her to build her own do-it-yourself investment portfolios by using the strategies and advice gained from the team she worked under. St. Fleur received outstanding feedback during her mid-quarter and final reviews at Merrill Lynch because of her ability to transfer what was learned in class to the office.

"I was humbled to be a part of the 4% of students hired nationally for the Merrill Lynch Financial Advising internship program. I also had the opportunity to be employed during the historic Brexit announcement and when the S&P 500 reached a record high. Working as a financial advising intern has definitely informed my future career path. Watching the interactions between the advisors and clients is an experience I wish to carry with me after graduation." - Bionca St. Fleur

Matt Mahoney, Men's Soccer - Kinesiology Major - Philadelphia Union
Matt Mahoney interned with the Philadelphia Union in the exercise science department. Day to day at the Union, Mahoney arrived around 7:30 a.m. for a 7:45 a.m. staff meeting to go over any injuries or lifts that needed to be addressed or done that day. Additionally, Mahoney assisted with activation, or getting players' muscles primed for training as well as holding lifting sessions.

"One of the many things I learned was to be comfortable being uncomfortable. It is very important to have hands on interpersonal skills and if you are too shy then in my field where I have to be teaching people certain movements and talking in front of crowds you can't afford to be too shy. Before this internship I never really had hands on experience or working experience at all. I was always too busy and didn't have time to work after school so it meant a lot that I could work in an environment that I was comfortable in while being able to expand my knowledge in my subject of study." - Matt Mahoney

Sahara Gipson, Women's Gymnastics - Media Studies & Production - Office of the City Representatives
For Sahara Gipson, there weren't many days that seemed the same at the Office of the City Representatives. Gipson's tasks ranged from confirming talent for events, making sure the media was in the correct location to cover events, and managing the office's social media accounts. During her internship, Gipson learned a lot about working with people who are very different from herself. Everyone in her office came from all different backgrounds could offered something different to the organization.

"I was able to network a lot during this internship. NETWORKING IS KEY!!! I saw the Mayor of Philadelphia almost every week and I met many people in the entertainment, event, and public relations industries that were able to give me some insight on what they do. This meant a lot to me because often times I struggle with really narrowing down what I want to do in the future, but I realized that a lot of the fields I study go hand in hand. It is okay to not know but it is important to take fully immerse yourself in the experience because you'll learn a lot about yourself." -Sahara Gipson

Tyler Baldo, Men's Crew - Advertising Major - CDM New York
Tyler Baldo served as an advertising intern at CDM New York this summer. His responsibilities included assisting account executives with advertising projects for the leading relapsing MS prescription medications. Tasks included producing daily timelines for creative teams to help create, change, move, and distribute assets for multiple projects for the brand; submitting final assets to FDA and PRC boards for approval of distribution; and assisting account executives in their day to day tasks. This experience allowed Baldo to understand the work that goes into producing and executing full advertising campaigns in the industry of healthcare communications.

"I learned that it's not so much the work makes someone enjoy their job as much as it is the people you work with. Every day I had great experiences with my co-workers, we struggled together in tough situations, and had fun together in every situation. Fun at work? I thought it was a myth too. Real world experience that simply can't be taught in a classroom. I can already tell that my experience over the summer will help me excel in the classroom or even on the water." - Tyler Baldo

Alex Cagle, Men's Soccer - Environmental Science Major - Research Assistant, College of Public Health
As a research assistant for the College of Public Health, Alex Cagle conducted field research on viral and bacterial pathogenic persistence in different Philadelphia waterways and also performed laboratory analysis of these samples. It helped him gain very valuable knowledge on the scientific process and research applications of my field as well as overall knowledge of public waterways.

"In my internship, I learned not only how to perform accurate research but also how to conduct my own scientific research study and how to present the research. I now feel I can pursue a graduate degree in my field with confidence and hold my own in any academic or scientific setting or workplace." - Alex Cagle

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Temple Student-Athletes Share Summer Internship Experiences

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