W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 9

Cover story

n today's economic climate, where competition overjob vacancies is extreme, internships for college

students have become more vital than ever.“As an employer, if you have candidates with experi-

ence and candidates without experience, it's obvious thatthe candidates with experience have an edge,” says SteveLafond '83 MA, assistant director of NMU CareerServices. “Internships can provide that experience compo-nent that college students who haven't worked in the pro-fessional field don't otherwise have.”

According to Lafond, the flip side is that in thiseconomy, many companies are decreasing their internshipopportunities. “It's hard for some businesses and organi-zations to justify bringing in student interns when theyare laying off full-time employees and eliminating jobs.”

Lafond says there are still plenty of interesting andvaluable internship and summer employment opportunitiesfor students willing to do their homework to find them.

“Students who are willing to do that can compete foropportunities that can have a major impact on their

future careers,” Lafond adds.Businesses and organizations that have recruited or

selected NMU students for internships over the yearsinclude the CIA and U.S. Secret Service, the UnitedStates Olympic Committee, numerous pro sports teams,large accounting firms and a wide variety of organizationsthat represent many different majors.

National surveys of employers indicate thatcompanies use internships as a way to recruit and selectemployees for permanent positions.

“Hiring people is a substantial financial commitmentfor a business and they want to feel confident they'veinvested in a good employee, the one that fits their organ-ization best. Internships allow a business to see a potentialemployee in action,” Lafond says. “Internship programscan be a little bit like a farm team for a big-league base-ball team. The organization gives you the chance to stepup to the plate and show them what you've got.”

Besides embellishing one's resume, other benefits ofinternships include:

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I

By Cindy Paavola ’84 BS

10 H O R I Z O N S

• Providing a context for coursework and allowing students to engage in the practical application of concepts and methods.

• Working with professionals who can help a student develop a sense of responsibility, confidence and leadership.

• Creating a network that offers references, advice and information about job opportunities and career advancement.

• Providing students opportunities to become more adaptable, mature and self-assured by motivating them to move outside their comfort zones and by helping them learn to balance their work and personal lives.

“When I returned to school after my internship, Iwas much more prepared in my classes.I feel that I had an advantage when Igot back to school due to the real-lifebusiness experience that I witnessedand participated in,” says JennaWilliams '09 BS, a business majorwho interned at Kohler Company.During her internship, Jenna imple-mented a project management softwaretraining program and was able toparticipate in strategic planning andnew product development for thepower systems division.

For employers, internships provideaccess to motivated students who bringwith them new tools, fresh ideas and adesire to learn and to work. Interns can, in a cost-effectivemanner, help free up regular staff members from morebasic aspects of their jobs to focus on more demandingand profitable assignments.

“We have found that NMU interns, like graduates,are sought after once a company or organization has hadone of our students,” says Lafond. “They love the workethic NMU students bring.”

Technology has significantly changed the internshipsearch process.

“Now students can go to a search engine and type inthe word internship and their major or type of job theyhope to have in the future and listings from around theworld pop up on the screen,” Lafond says. “So, unlike thepast when internships were often local, now students whocan afford to do so can take internships all over theworld, and they do. And searching for internships is beingdone through the new social networking tools. It's allpretty exciting and powerful.”

Jim Gadzinski ’81 BS, ’84 MAE, director ofNMU's Academic and Career Advising Center (ACAC),says that while Career Services and many NMU depart-ments list internship opportunities on their Web sites,there is now so much information available outside of theuniversity that it can sometimes overwhelm students.

“That's when some of the work on the students’ partreally begins. They have to determine what a good fit isfor them academically and financially,” says Gadzinski.“Financial matters do need to be a part of the conversa-tion, especially these days. So the questions become, outof all of the dozens of internship opportunities out there,which ones are paid, which are not and then can you

afford to have an unpaid internship; which ones arelocal and which ones are not, and canyou afford to live away from your cur-rent location?”

Gadzinski adds that in the last 20years, he's noticed a trend for morepaid internships, or opportunities thatprovide a stipend.

“I think employers found that ifthey offered a paid internship or onewith a stipend, they got better-qualifiedcandidates to apply. A lot of employersfeel that the assistance they're gettingfrom the interns is worth paying for.Still, others feel that what the studentsare getting through their internships isso valuable that the experience is the

payment. They look at it as that's how people get into thefield.”

For December art and design graduate MikeForester '09 BFA, his internship at Rome SnowboardsDesign Syndicate in Waterbury, Vt., was unpaid (readmore about Mike's experience on the next page), but helooked at it as an investment in getting the experience heneeds to professionally get his foot in the door.

“Unpaid internships are pretty common as far as Ican tell, and I think they're kind of a necessary evil. Mostjobs require two to three years of experience, but how doyou get that experience? You start with an internship, findother opportunities and keep building on those until youhave the amount of experience everyone wants from you.Sometimes by doing those things you come in contactwith someone who says, 'You're the guy for us.'”

Paid or unpaid, an internship can be an important stepon a student's journey, sometimes playing a profound rolein one's choice of careers and success after graduation. n

“We have found thatNMU interns,

like graduates, aresought after once

a company or organization has hadone of our students.

They love the work ethic NMU students bring.”

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 11

s the saying goes, “When inRome, do as the Romans do.”

If Mike Forester ’09BFA didn't understand the linebefore his internship last summer atRome Snowboard Design Syndicatein Waterbury, Vt., he did by the timehe left.

In the winter of 2009, Foresterwas announced as the RomeSnowboard Design Syndicate's ShopKid Art Contest winner for a secondtime, having also won in 2007. Theannual contest, he says, is designed torecognize snowboard shop employees“who give great service to customers,especially on those days when they'drather be on the hills themselves, andwho understand the shredding (snow-board) lifestyle better than anyone.”

“To enter, shop kids go to a

template online and you create adesign you think would work for asnowboard,” Forester says, whoentered as an employee of CasualtiesSkate, Snow and Surf in Marquette,owned by NMU alums Andy andMatt Jones.

From submissions that camefrom around the globe, Rome chosefinalists who not only produced greatsnowboard art, but who had innova-tive ideas. In announcing Forester asthe winner, Rome representativessaid, “After talking to Mike on thephone, it was clear that this kid notonly has art talent, but ambition aswell.”

The prize package included cash,merchandise and an internship whereForester would work with the Romeart team to fully develop his concept

into a limited board series. So afterthe winter semester ended last May,Forester headed east.

“It was an amazing experience,”he says. “I really got to see how hardthe Rome design professionalsworked at their jobs. It was crazy attimes. We'd be on deadline andthere'd be a bunch of us still at theoffice in the middle of the night try-ing to get a design perfectly rightbefore morning when it had to beready. Someone would say, 'Let's trythis,’ or 'Let's try that' and—wham— suddenly the designworked. It was awesome to be a partof something like that. “

Seeing the high level of dedicationmade an impression on the graphicdesign major from Royal Oak.

“I learned so much in such a

When in Rome…

By Cindy Paavola ’84 BS

A

12 H O R I Z O N S

short period oftime, the type ofthings that justcan't be taught inthe classroom. Iwalked in thedoor and in thefirst week I washammering outprojects, puttingdesigns on gloves, jackets andboards.”

He still shakes his head whentrying to explain the intricacies ofglove development.

“You would not believe thenumber of things that have to beconsidered. You have to really knowthe customers and then make deci-sions based on what you knowabout them. Who's going to bewearing the glove? What's theglove supposed to do? Can youafford to use certain materials forthe whole glove, such as leather?If a material will make the glovetoo expensive can you use it onjust parts of the glove—like thepalm —and still make it afford-able for the consumer? Whatcolors will work for this glove?What kind of art? Where do youput the art on the glove? It's crazythe amount of detail that goesinto developing a product such asa glove. Tactile design—not justdesigning how it looks, but alsohow it works. The process andthe level of detail blew me away. ”

Having already completed fouryears of his art and design program,Mike brought to the internship a“solid skills set” to go along with hiswork ethic and innate creative talent.The son of a professional photogra-pher, design always came naturally tohim, and as a teenager decided hewanted to pursue some kind of artcareer.

“At Rome, I was a little older

than some of the interns. I wasn't afreshman or sophomore trying tofigure out if this was the field for me.I already knew it was. I was close to adegree and had some experience. Butone of the best things the internshipdid was allow me to prove myself andmy skills. I came into it thinking Icould do it; I left knowing I could.”

After graduating in December,Forester formally became the artdirector at Casualties, where he hasworked for the past five years. He'sstill designing for Rome products andfreelancing for a few other compa-nies, adding that he's “constantlythinking of new ideas.”

He says that art in the snow-board world (skateboard and surf,too) has become serious business.

“Before it wasjust people creat-ing cool designs toput on boards.Now, I see somany real artistsbecominginvolved in thesnow industry.The art on the

boards has turned into mainstreampop culture. People hang their boardsas wall art when they’re done ridingthem,” he says.

“It gives me a lot of pleasurewhen I'm at the hill and see someoneusing a board with one of mydesigns, or when I'm in the shop andsomeone chooses one of my designs.I want to say, 'I'm glad you like it. Icreated that just for you.’ I likeRome's philosophy that the boardshould fit the personality of thesnowboarder.”

Mike says he's going to try toget other NMU art and designstudents internships at Rome if hehas the opportunity to do so in thefuture.

“I tell people all the time thatyou don't need to spend $30,000-$40,000 a year to go to a fancy artschool for a great graphic designprogram. Northern has excellentteachers and facilities and provides aquality education. I really felt wellprepared at graduation and goinginto the internship program, and Ithink my work there and now provethat I was prepared. I've already toldthe people at Rome that if they wantmore interns like me, get NMUstudents because we're trainedexceptionally well, but we're alsotaught to be prepared to work hardfor what we want—that idea doesn'tscare a Northern student.” n

To see more of Mike's art and designwork, go to www.mikeforesterdesign.com

“It gives me a lotof pleasure whenI'm at the hill and

see someoneusing a boardwith one of my

designs, or whenI'm in the shopand someone

chooses one ofmy designs.”

“One of the best things the internship did was allowme to prove myself and my skills. I came into it thinking I could do it; I left knowing I could.”

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 13

anny Digneit's successful bidto secure a “Late Show withDavid Letterman” internship

in 2008 demonstrated his ability towork under deadline pressure andmultitask—two qualities his futuremedia career will demand. The NMUsenior says his mom urged him toapply after she spotted a Web post-ing. So just before the applicationwindow closed, Digneit was feverish-ly compiling and submitting hismaterial electronically, while simulta-neously working his part-time job inthe master control room of a localABC television affiliate.

“It was down to the wire, but Irealized it would be one of my lastchances to get some hands-on experi-ence before I graduated,” says theWalled Lake native. “It was an oppor-tunity to work alongside professionalsin late-night television, which issomething I'd like to get into. I haddone a lot at the college level andworked in small-town TV. Thenational level was the next step. Iknew the contacts would be solid. ALetterman internship looks good on aresumé because hundreds apply andonly 12 of us were selected.”

Digneit went through an inten-sive, three-hour interview process that

included stops in each department—from research and production to tal-ent and music. Originally hoping forthe closest match to his media pro-duction and new technology major,he instead landed a spot that alignedwith his music minor: working forthe assistant to Paul Shaffer, theshow's bandleader and sidekick.

His tasks included making surethe band had the necessary sheetmusic, CDs and catalogs forrehearsals. He also kept the musiclibrary organized. Before each taping,he typed up the musical guests per-forming on the show and their songselections, then distributed the sheetsto directors and producers. He gavecalls to the band members so theywould know it was time to assembleon stage. Occasionally, he fetchednew music on short notice when theydecided to switch up the playlist.

The internship included a bit of“go-fer” duty, such as knowingShaffer's preferences for tea and sand-wiches and delivering them. Digneitsays the staff was up front about thatduring the interview, but purposelykept it to a minimum so studentscould focus on gaining professionalexperience. He was intimidated atfirst by Shaffer, but quickly found

him to be “approachable and down toearth.” Digneit had only oneencounter with Letterman and it wasawkward at best.

“My first day on the internship,they were showing me the ropes. Iwent backstage to get something forPaul and had my head down, tryingto do everything as efficiently as pos-sible. I didn't realize Dave was walk-ing toward me. We reached a hallwaydoor at the same time and, ratherthan stop and let him through, I keptgoing so we had to face each otherand shimmy through the doorway inorder to fit. He said, 'Oh, I'm sorry.'It should have been the other wayaround. The crew members werelaughing hysterically because they knewI had no idea what was going on.”

Living in New York City for asemester-long unpaid internship wasexpensive and required him to com-mit more than four years to NMU tocomplete his degree, but Digneit hasno regrets.

“It was a great experience and itjust proves that you don't have to befrom NYU or some big East Coastschool to have an opportunity likethis. I heard from several people onstaff that the human resources direc-tor at Letterman looks for internsfrom smaller schools because they getmore one-on-one experiences withprofessors and they're go-getters. At alarger university, I wouldn't have got-ten half of the experiences I've had atNMU—from the ‘Public Eye News’and ‘Standing O’ student televisionprograms to working at ABC. I builtup a pretty extensive resume at Northernand it helped me get the internship. I'llalways be grateful for that.” n

D

“A Letterman internship looksgood on a resumé becausehundreds apply and only 12

of us were selected.”

By Kris t i Evans

14 H O R I Z O N S

t may sound strangeto say that

Northern MichiganUniversity geographystudents are makingU.S. National Parksand Michigan StateParks more green, sinceparks are usuallyalready green areas, butthat's exactly whatElizabeth Bloomfield’09 BS was tasked todo when she took on asummer internship atPictured RocksNational Lakeshore inMunising last year.Now, it's also part ofher upcoming job as astate park ranger.

“Chris Case, the facility manager at Pictured Rocks,wants to make that park the most carbon-neutralNational Lakeshore in the country. He's looking at thepark's trucks and tractors, the efficiency of the lightingsystems and such—everything that impacts its sustainabil-ity. So, my job was to inventory and catalog everychemical being used within the park, and do research onmore environmentally friendly options,” says Bloomfield.

Also a part of Bloomfield's internship was writing amanual for park employees on how to properly use park-issued credit cards and buy locally to support the U.P.economy and the park's sustainability efforts. She alsoworked in the Munising Falls and Miner's Castle visitorcenters and helped at the park's bookstore.

Bloomfield's experience at the National Lakeshorewasn't her first dealing with park sustainability. Duringsummer employment from 2004-06 at Sleepy HollowState Park in Laingsburg, she did research and wrote agrant on invasive species eradication. In 2007 at VanRiper State Park in Champion, she wrote grants andstarted a recycling program.

“An internship is a no brainer,” says the Owossonative, who graduated with a geography major. “It's so

different than learningin a classroom. It's inter-active and challengesyour knowledge in dif-ferent ways. You needthe classroom to getyour foundation, ofcourse, but you needthings like internshipsand summer jobs inyour field to get thatdose of what will beexpected when you aredoing this as full-timeemployment.”

Bloomfield praisesthe NMU GeographyDepartment for gentlybut firmly pushing herin the direction of aninternship, especially

John Anderton '87 BS, department head and professor.“Dr. Anderton put my name out there and that got

the ball rolling. He was also always urging me to getinvolved in things. I was kind of shy in college, butthrough these experiences, I developed not only myknowledge of my field, but my confidence andcommunication skills as well,” Bloomfield says.

Those communication skills will be key in her new posi-tion as a park ranger at Silver Lake State Park in Mears.

“What I've found in my internship and summeremployment experiences is that when you are in constantcontact with the public, especially when you're inuniform, people tend to challenge you and your knowl-edge. They want to see that you know what you're talkingabout. I've learned how to deal with those situations better.Now, when I can't answer their questions, I know how topoint them in the right direction to get the information.”

Although already hired, before starting her new jobBloomfield must first complete the required seven-weekMichigan State Police Academy training program, or asshe says jokingly, “a little more school.”

“I'm a little nervous, but overall, I'm prettyconfident in myself. We have to go through this program

Experience in the FieldBy Cindy Paavola '84 BS

Elizabeth Bloomfield, in her ranger uniform,inventoried and cataloged every chemical beingused within Pictured Rocks and did research onmore environmentally friendly options to help thepark in its effort to become the most carbon-neutral National Lakeshore in the country.

I

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 15

because park rangers, though not armed, do have thepower of arrest. I guess it just proves that there is always anew learning experience in front of you.”

Anderton feels strongly that all geography majors(and all NMU students) should try to have an internshipexperience before gradu-ating. He still clearlyremembers his ownstudent internshipexperience with theForest Service.

“I loved it. That waswhen I knew for certainthat I was in the rightfield and was going to bedoing what I was meantto do,” he says.

Anderton saysinternships help studentunderstand first-handwhat the field is reallylike. He points out theyalso help students realizewhere their strengths andweaknesses are within theprofessional skill set, so if they are returning to collegethey can often work on those areas where more study andpractice is needed.

“I think internships are critical. They're the way toprove to a potential employer that you can do what you'vebeen trained to do. When people see what our studentshave been trained to do, they're impressed. That's the firststep to being hired for that permanent job.”

So, like other NMU academic departments, geogra-phy faculty work diligently to learn more about internshipopportunities they can share with their students and evenhelp create new ones. Along with Pictured Rocks NationalLakeshore, some of the department's internship affiliatesinclude the USGS-Biology Resources Division, Isle RoyaleNational Park, United States Forest Service (primarilyHiawatha Forest), Natural Resources ConservationService, Michigan Department of Environmental Qualityand Natural Resources, Alger and Marquette CountyConservation Districts, the City of Marquette, CliffsNatural Resources and many others.

Working with JM Longyear is a new internship forthe department, says Anderton. Senior Phil Herout fromAntioch, Ill., is using his GIS skills to help the organizationmanage its more than 1,000 acres of forest by electronically

linking property maps to all related legal documents.“Longyear owns and operates natural resource

businesses that manage property for sustainable forestproducts, minerals and real estate investments,” saysHerout. “The organization has taken me on as an intern

for this semester and mywork has been focused ondigitizing documents andincorporating them intotheir GIS. This processwill ultimately increaseemployee access to infor-mation. I am also work-ing with Longyear'sforesters to customizeGPS software.”

Anderton encour-aged Herout, an environ-mental science policymajor and geographicinformation systemsminor, to contactLongyear but left it up tothe soon-to-be-graduateto make the call.

“I called the main office and inquired if they coulduse an intern for the next semester. During the initialphone interview we discussed my course work in GIS,computer cartography, remote sensing and spatial analysis.So, primarily, my knowledge of ArcMap and the funda-mentals of GIS were the basis for them taking me on.”

Herout, who graduates in May, says what he's look-ing to take from his internship is practical experience andprofessional relationships.

“I was nervous at first, but I knew this was a greatopportunity to apply my education. I felt prepared andwas excited to get to work and see my classes work forme,” he says.

Herout says he's grateful for the experience, especiallysince so many businesses have not been able to continue theirinternship programs during the current economic slump.

“That makes it hard to get any initial experience orexposure to a field of work you may or may not like. I amvery thankful to have this internship and I can't wait tosee where it takes me. I have been surrounded by helpfulpeople, eager to help and watch me succeed, so there is nodoubt in my mind that this experience will help with myfuture career prospects.” n

Phil Herout, atop Hogsback, is working with JM Longyear, using his GIS skills to help theorganization manage its more than 1,000 acresof forest by electronically linking property mapsto all related legal documents.

16 H O R I Z O N S

ust a month after graduating from Northern, JeffThomas '09 BA was on day 74 of waiting to hearfrom the IRS if his application for 501(c)3 status had

been approved. “I'm in 'hurry up and wait' mode,” hesays, anxious to get his organization, NonprofitInnovations, Inc., up and running. “I also just gotengaged, so I'm planning a wedding and looking for ahouse.” Nothing like jumping right in to life after college.

While his nonprofit is new, with a novel focus onimproving how charities operate, Thomas has beentraining for it for years. He did an individually createdprogram major in “civic communications,” combiningpolitical science, general social studies, communications,and art and design courses. He interned for two summersat Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank, anorganization his father runs in the Grand Rapids area. Andduring the winter 2009 semester he gained another perspec-tive with an internship at the Cleveland Food Bank.

“I got a lot of great experience from Feeding AmericaWest Michigan, but I needed to learn how others do it,”he says. “Going to Cleveland was almost like doing astudy abroad. It was like another land, with a differentculture.”

At the CFB, Thomas researched and presented abriefing for the staff on major nonprofits in Clevelandthat the food bank might partner with. He helped executea fund-raising gala at a mall. When the organization wasawarded a Google grant, he was put in charge of imple-menting a Google AdWords campaign to reach potentialclients. “That was really cool to work on. The campaignis still running,” he says.

He also learned how to process donations of foodand—during the major peanut recall—how to immedi-ately reverse the whole process. “I searched for pictures of

products that were affected by the recall (there were over100) and made a visual guide so we could go through ourwhole inventory and pull out the products. We even hadto reference our distribution records and try to retrieveitems that had already been given out.

“There were many more people around the table inCleveland,” he recalls. “So they were able to expand theirfocus and have staff specialize in one or two things. Itshowed me the diversity within the nonprofit sector. Ilearned things I wouldn't have intuited about thepsychology of fund-raising.”

Thomas gained a wider view, too, of logistics andchallenges within different environments, such as urbanvs. rural. “In Cleveland you look at how to work effec-tively with major corporations there, and groups like theCleveland Browns (who take part in Taste of the NFL toraise funds for the food bank), and hundreds of grocerystores. You need to determine how to scale your servicesso they don't get overwhelmed by the concentrateddemand,” he explains. “On the other hand, you havedifferent challenges in a sparsely populated area like theU.P., where there aren't as many major corporations,there's a limited fund-raising base, and you have to findways to provide access to your services across a wide area.”

As he was developing this understanding of the

Food for New ThoughtsBy Rebecca Tavernini

J

“Other Help” is one of the first programs Thomas hopes to implement.It focuses on getting families into thecharitable food system earlier, freeing

up their limited resources to help avoidutility shutoffs, eviction and other

crisis situations.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 17

different character of places, Thomas was also fullyimmersing himself in Cleveland's “foreign culture.”Adding to the study abroad flavor of it, he ended up find-ing a roommate who was a visiting math professor fromIndia, teaching at Case Western Reserve University.Thomas took a graduate-level course in non-profitmarketing there (he much prefers NMU), and happenedto fall in love with a fellow student—an old friend frommiddle school who’s now his fiancée. He enjoyed the freemusic recitals at the Cleveland Institute of Music justdown the street from his apartment, and even joined CaseWestern's Commedia dell’Arte Troupe. “It's a classic formof improvisational theatre, which I knew nothing aboutbefore, but I took part in several performances.”

All of this will guide Thomas as the founding execu-tive director of Nonprofit Innovations, which he explainsis intended to help “develop, prove and promote betterapproaches to meeting basic human needs.” The groupwill research and develop ways to help other non-profitsbe more efficient and effective. “Too much of the researchwork done on behalf of the nonprofit sector is focused onfund-raising,” he says. “Not enough goes into how to useresources more effectively.”

To start with, NII will collaborate with a few GrandRapids area organizations to test ideas. Thomas says theircriteria for evaluating ideas will be 1) would the approach be

significantly more efficient/effective than its predecessors, 2)is it something that can be duplicated elsewhere, and 3) canthe idea ride on the infrastructure already in place?

“Other Help” is one of the first programs they hopeto implement. It focuses on getting families into thecharitable food system earlier, freeing up their limitedresources to help avoid utility shutoffs, eviction and othercrisis situations that are much more difficult to resolve.But, Thomas says, change doesn't have to be radical;sometimes all it takes is working with organizations toimprove their policies governing who can apply for help,or making food more accessible by distributing it in aschool parking lot in a client's own neighborhood, insteadof in a building across town.

Thomas seems well positioned to continue with thecollaboration and creativity that was a hallmark of hisinternships and Northern education, where he was greatlyinfluenced by professors in a wide range of disciplines,such as Jim Cantrill in communications, Nell Kupper inmodern languages, Daric Christian in art and design andSteve Nelson in political science, among others he wouldlike to “lavish praise” on. “I had such a wonderful collec-tion of professors at Northern, I'm just sorry I won't beable to keep taking classes with them!”

Alas, onward to marriage, home ownership andmaking the world a better place. n

orthern Initiatives offers rural entrepreneurs accessto capital, information and markets. NI started as an

NMU academic department in 1985 before its transitionto a nonprofit community development corporation, soit's appropriate that the longstanding partnership—rootedin education—includes on-the-job learning opportunitiesfor NMU students.

NI officials ramped up the internship program aboutfour years ago when the corporation moved from an off-campus location back to NMU. Now settled in theJacobetti Center, they employseven to nine students who assistregional small businesses withmarket research, credit analysis, IT services, Web site developmentand search engine optimization.

“The students help theseentrepreneurs overcome economic barriers such asisolation and seasonality and expand their presence tolarger markets,” says Dennis West, NI president. “Someinterns are also working on nature and cultural tourism.Most people are aware of the Soo Locks, Mackinac Islandand Pictured Rocks, but there are other U.P. resourcesthat can be leveraged to benefit nearby businesses. Thestudents have developed social media campaigns to helppublicize other venues important for building naturetourism as a dimension.”

Their Facebook sites for “Bike Michigan UpperPeninsula Trails” and “Ski Michigan Upper PeninsulaTrails” have nearly 600 fans. They also used social mediatools to promote The Great Waters, a five-county U.P.destination.

Whether it's helping a one-man saw sharpening oper-ation move beyond his low-visibility location, revampinga pottery studio's Web site to facilitate online shopping or

even identifying $1 million in excess inventoryat a company, NMU interns contribute significantly to projects.

“There is a lot of integration and teamworkinvolved,” says Amanda Blondeau '03 BS, who isEnterprise Center program director at NI and supervisesthe students. “We've been able to help more small busi-nesses and make bigger impacts because of intern support.They bring vitality and fresh perspectives in a variety of areas.”

NMU senior Jessica Beaver has worked for NI sinceOctober 2008, with the exception of a semester abroad inSpain. She started out doing primarily market research,from tracking competitors' activities to exploring productdiversification. Now she exercises her creativity designinglayouts and drafting content for Web sites, such as one fora charter fishing captain that reflects his personality.

“I'm learning how I work with people and how tomanage myself and my time,” she says. “I'm always work-ing with others—not independently—so if I don't comethrough, it will put someone else off track. It's convenientthat the office is on campus and because it's a paid intern-ship, I don't have to worry about another job on top of it.Having this experience while I'm in college will help mewith my future career.”

Junior English major and fellow intern Abby Roppagrees. Her front-office duties include setting up appoint-ments, designing brochures, editing material and helpingwith presentations.

“I'm from a small community in Leelanau County, soworking for a company that focuses on rural areas is closeto my heart. And this is the first time I've been able toreally put my English major to use on the job. I'm alsopicking up new skills I've never done before. This willenable me to work in a broader field.” n

Energizing rural

businessesBy Kris t i Evans

N

The students havedeveloped social media

campaigns to help publicizevenues important for

building nature tourism.

18 H O R I Z O N S

Phot

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Energizing rural

businesses f an internship can sometimes bea foot in the door to full employ-ment with a company, Sara

Blomquist '08 BS stepped in withboth feet firmly in place. “I knewgoing in that it could lead to a joboffer,” she says of her internship withKPMG in Minneapolis. “Like manycompanies, KPMG hires a high per-centage of their interns because theyinvest so much into training us. Ireceived my full-time offer at the endof the internship. It was a huge reliefthat I didn't have to worry about jobhunting after graduation.”

KPMG—one of the “big four”accounting firms, which providesaudit, tax and advisory services in146 countries with 140,000 employ-ees—makes a business out of recruit-ing top graduates, and it woos themwell. Not only was the internshippaid, the company also providedtravel reimbursement and lodging forBlomquist's two-day interview andtook her out to dinner. But it's notlike she didn't have to work for the offer.

“It was my first real-worldsetting with interviewing,” she recalls.“There were three rounds of inter-views with people at different levelsin the company. I was nervous aboutthe questions they would be asking.But really, they just want to get toknow what kind of person you are,

what your personal work style is andhow you interact with a team. It's easyto talk about who you are. Nobodyknows you better than yourself!”

Adding to the tension, she says,were all of the other studentscompeting for the same offer, sizingher up. The accounting/corporatefinance major had a pretty solidbackground to offer up, though. Shewas president of Beta Alpha Psi (pro-fessional club for accounting andfinance students), chair of theCollege of Business Dean's StudentAdvisory Council, graduate ofNorthern's Student LeaderFellowship Program, involved inSuperior Edge citizenship and leader-ship activities, recipient of numerouscompetitive scholarships, includingthe statewide Michigan AccountancyFoundation Scholarship, and had a3.90 GPA. She had also worked in theoffice of the vice president of financeand administration at NMU.

“I felt a little at a disadvantagethat I hadn't done an internshipbefore my senior year,” she says. “Butthey were impressed that I wasinvolved in different ways. It showed

that I was versatile and involved anda well-rounded person.”

When she got the internship andwas on the job, she found that she wasvery well prepared; “in a way more thanthe others,” she says. “Students from biguniversities didn't always have theopportunities to sit one-on-one withtheir professors to really explain some-thing they didn't understand.”

At the same time, she also foundthe work to be exciting and challeng-ing. “The pace, what's expected ofyou and the responsibility you'regiven, was very surprising. Theyunderstand you are still a student,but they expect you to give it yourbest. You have to be prepared towork hard and show them whatyou've got to offer them.”

While she was confident she hadmade the right choice of careers afterthe internship and now as a full-timeaudit associate with KPMG,Blomquist recommends that studentsdo multiple internships. “It helps youfind your place, and if that careerpath fits you as a person.” With thisfit, she hasn't even minded giving upher jeans for dress pants. n

During Blomquist’s internship her sister Jen(an NMU student, pictured on the left) vis-ited Sara (right) in Minneapolis and tookpart volunteering in the KPMG RevivingBaseball in Inner Cities Tournament.

From intern to employeeI

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 19

20 H O R I Z O N S

ebecca Thompson ’09 BS has long recognized thevalue of internships and has experienced them

from two perspectives: participant and facilitator. As anNMU student, she applied for an internship through TheWashington Center in the nation's capital and securedone with the Department of Homeland Security. Now, asthe new director of Young People For—also inWashington, D.C.—she empowers the next generation ofprogressive leaders at America's colleges to affect changein their communities.

Thompson knew as an incoming freshman at NMUthat she wanted to pursueThe Washington Centeropportunity. Advised toremain patient and getinvolved at the campus levelfirst, she immersed herself inthe Student LeaderFellowship Program, Black Student Union and ASNMUstudent government, for which she later served as presi-dent. All fulfilled her goal of being an engaged student andmade her a more competitive applicant for the internship.

“I worked really hard to get into the program,” shesays. “Once I was accepted, everything changed. I knewthe minute I got off the plane that Washington, D.C.,was where I wanted to be. Something had always con-

nected me to the city and being there reinforced that.” Thompson helped Department of Homeland

Security staff who offered technical assistance and trainingin various weapons of mass destruction (WMD) scenariosto state and local entities.

“Much of the effort was directed at first respondersso that in the event of an attack, there would be peopletrained on the ground to handle it, whether it was inMarquette County or Washington, D.C. My roleinvolved a lot of research. For example, they offered train-ing by issue area and I would review the information and

help them fill in the gaps. OrI would make recommenda-tions as to what type oftraining best fit a particularWMD scenario.”

Northern's PoliticalScience and Public

Administration Department partners with TheWashington Center, which maintains relationships withthousands of organizations in the D.C. area. Outside oftheir internships, students take classes and participate inleadership forums. They also have the opportunity to net-work with fellow interns and professionals who may helpthem find employment opportunities after graduation.

While her duties were not a direct match to her

Rebecca Thompson, second from right, with Congressman George Miller (CA), Senator Ted Kennedy(MA), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA) and representatives from the United States StudentAssociation at the Capitol prior to the enrollment ceremony for the College Cost Reduction Act.

R

Thompson helped Department of HomelandSecurity staff who offered technical assistance and training in various

Weapons of Mass Destruction scenarios.

Capital experiences By Kris t i Evans

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 21

fter several years of arranginginternships through The

Washington Center in the nation'scapital, NMU's Political Science andPublic Administration Departmentexpanded its placement options tothe heart of state government. JeremyHosking ’07 BS, the first studentselected for the Lansing InternshipProgram, earned summertime creditworking in Rep. Steve Lindberg'soffice. It proved to be a door-openingopportunity. Hosking was hired ayear later as a full-time legislative aideto the U.P. representative.

A Palmer native, Hosking hadapplied for the internship to gainpractical experience to complementthe theoretical knowledge gleanedfrom the classroom. He described hisfirst week in Lansing as an acclima-tion period—sifting through files ande-mails to familiarize himself with

upcoming issues. Soon he was sittingin on committee meetings, takingnotes and watching the proceduresunfold.

“In class, we learned how billsare introduced and become law, but Iquickly realized it doesn't alwayswork that way with interest groups

Jeremy Hosking, right, with Michigan Representative Steve Lindberg, center, and fellowstaff member Craig Brunet, ‘01 BS, ’04 MPA on the House floor.

A

marketing major, Thompson gained valuable insight fromthe experience. “I realized I didn't want to work for thefederal government, but that wasn't a bad thing. It'sbetter to find out what you do or don't want to do duringan internship than when you're relying on a job for a pay-check. An internship is the only trial run you get.”

The experience also helped Thompson identifyqualities of a productive internship that she applies to hercurrent career working with students.

“An internship shouldn't just be about stuffingenvelopes or listening to people talk; it should be gettingyour feet wet doing what you want to do and being treat-ed like part of the team. Young people want to engage,get out in the field, meet people and be pushed intoleadership positions. My interns probably have moreresponsibility than they anticipated because I'm one wholikes to be challenged beyond my own comfort level.”

Young People For offers a year-long fellowship forstudents to identify a problem in their communities andwork to address it. “They create what's called a blueprintfor social justice and we help them fund it. The studentsgain internship credit and a stipend while working onpositive change at the local level. They network with peersnationwide, participate in regional skills and issue training

sessions and come to D.C. for a conference.”Prior to joining YP4, Thompson was program man-

ager for the District of Columbia Youth Advisory Councilin the Executive Office of the Mayor. She also served aslegislative director for the U.S. Student Association.

“Without my internship, I had almost no real-worldexperience. People were impressed by that on my resume.I have to say that 100 percent of what I did at Northernprepared me for the job I'm doing today.” n

Thompson with members of the DC Youth Advisory Councilduring a local community service project in Washington, D.C.

22 H O R I Z O N S

and lobbyists,” says Hosking. “The classroom is acontrolled setting; there's not a lot of control outside it. Itwas an eye-opening experience. Sometimes the party systemmakes politics pretty dysfunctional. I see things as gray and Idon't think compromise is a bad thing, so I'm often surprisedby the process.”

Hosking applied his writing and research skillstoward drafting letters in response to constituent concernsor complaints. He had to be an effective listener duringoccasional meetings with visitors from the district whenLindberg was in a session andunavailable.

“People skills and relationships are very important. Iworked for Steve's campaign during my campaignpracticum and my favorite part of that was going door todoor and listening to people's concerns. Those skillshelped me as an intern, I use them now as a legislativeaide and they will be critical if I run for office one day.”

he Lansing internships offer many intangible bene-fits, but they are unpaid positions and students are

responsible for their own room and board, transportationand living expenses. Hosking said he wouldn't have been

able to affordthe opportuni-ty withoutfinancial sup-port from anNMUFoundationscholarshipfunded byNorthernalumni andfriends.

Tom Baldini ’65 BS, district director for CongressmanBart Stupak, and David Haynes '72 BS, associate professorof political science, are two of those donors.

"I thought it was important to help provide studentswho were currently enrolled at NMU the opportunity toexperience work-related activities in their field of interestbeyond the education on campus," says Baldini."Internships allow them to preview and experience whatthey are considering as a futurecareer—to decide what theylike or dislike about a particularcareer before they graduate.Most internships aren't com-pensated, so this scholarshipwas a way to counter that andhelp out. The fun part for me ishearing about some of theirexperiences and observationsafter they return."

Haynes has placed studentsin Lansing, Madison andMinneapolis. “Internships arepart of the core education of thedepartment. They're also goodresumé-builders. Getting on-the-job experience along with an aca-demic education produces graduates very employable inthe market. But there are expenses associated with thatexperience. I didn't want the cost to be a barrier, so Idecided to put some money together to help them takeadvantage of these internships.” n

“In class, we learned howbills are introduced and

become law, but I quicklyrealized it doesn't always

work that way with interest groups and lobbyists.”

T

David Haynes discussing "Politics in the U.P. in the Late 20th Century" at the 2008Sonderegger Symposium at NMU.

Tom Baldini, districtdirector for MichiganCongressman Stupak,helps fund a scholarshipassisting interns ingovernment and legalsettings.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 23

have been interested in the lawas long as I can remember. Myfather is a former police chief

who now works as the deputy direc-tor of NMU Public Safety, so I sup-pose I got my interest in law fromhim. I have also spent the past 3 1/2years working for the U.S. Attorney'sOffice in Marquette as a student legalassistant, which has further enhancedmy interests. I hope to continueworking at the U.S. Attorney's Officeas a full-time legal assistant, and thencontinue in some form of federalgovernment work, but as avictim/witness specialist, legal assis-tant or federal probation officer.

I had considered doing aninternship and when I received an e-mail from Criminal JusticeDepartment Head Dr. (Dale) Kapla,saying some were still available forthe fall 2009 semester in the area ofprobation, I took it as a sign andwent for it.

My supervisor was JuvenileProbation Officer Connie Hemmila,and I spent most of my time workingdirectly with her, first shadowing her,and then actually taking on some realresponsibilities.

In the beginning I sat in on meet-ings with clients and court hearings, justabsorbing knowledge, but by the end ofmy semester there I was actually con-ducting office meetings myself, going toschools to visit clients, handling drugtests and writing reports.

It was a truly amazing learningexperience, mostly because the entirestaff was so willing to teach me andto let me try whatever I wanted onmy own.

Obviouslybecause of theconfidentialnature of thework, I cannotget into anydetails aboutspecific experi-ences I had with clients there, but allin all, I think the most surprisingthing I learned was how quickly, evenin an "authority" position like a pro-bation officer, you can becomeattached to these kids.

The nature of work in juvenilecourt is that you are supposedlyworking with the "troubled kids" orthe "bad kids," but I learned soquickly that you cannot put labels onthem, because despite the fact thatthey may do some questionablethings, when it comes down to itthey are just kids. And most of themare incredibly likable and friendly,and were simply born into bad situa-tions, or have had life difficulties thatI could not even begin to imaginegoing through. I could go into workat juvenile court after having what Iwould consider a completely horribleday, and by the end of my time there,my problems always seemed incredi-bly trivial in comparison to whatsome of these kids experience.

At times, it was definitely hardto maintain composure during somesensitive meetings and proceedings,especially since as much as you maytry to keep a professional distancefrom these kids, you end up feelingincredibly attached to them—at leastI did. I think that the key that Ifound in these situations, especiallywhen I had no idea what to say ordo, was just to listen, take it in andjust be a voice of calm. I had to real-ize early on that I am one person andthere is only so much that I can do. Ican't save the world on my own. So Ilistened, absorbed and tried to saysomething helpful if I could, but atthe same time try not to say toomuch. It's a difficult skill to master,and I'm sure if you asked some of theveteran probation officers over there,they'd say that even after years on thejob, there are certain situations thatstill get to them as well.

After ending my internship atJuvenile Court, I was offered a paidposition as an in-home detentionworker where I work one-on-one witha youth on probation. I have also donesome mentoring work for the court.

I don't know if any class can fullyprepare you for a real-world situationlike this, but I think that's the beautyof the internship because it gives youexperiences that a class cannot. n

Just KidsCriminal justice major Allison Gagerdescribes her internship at the Marquette County Juvenile Court

I

“I could go into work at juvenilecourt after having what I wouldconsider a completely horribleday, and by the end of my time

there, my problems alwaysseemed incredibly trivial in

comparison to what some of these kids experience.”

24 H O R I Z O N S

hile many students head away from Northern totry their hand at future careers, a few come from

afar to undertake an internship on campus. Brian McGowan, a sports and exercise science

student from The University of Limerick in Irelandarrived in Marquette in January to spend the wintersemester and summer here.

“I found out about NMU at an internationalconference on biomechanics in sports that was hosted inLimerick and will be hosted here this summer,”McGowan explains. “I met a Northern professor who hadties with UL and I asked about opportunities for aninternship. It sounded good and here I am six monthslater. I didn't realize quite how cold it was, though!”

That professor was Randy Jensen from the Health,Physical Education and Recreation Department, who wasnot only at the conference but had previously spent a sab-batical in Limerick. One of McGowan’s internship dutieswill be helping to organize the International Society ofBiomechanics in Sports Conference this summer. It’sexpected to bring in more than 300 experts from aroundthe world.

“I love biomechanics and exercise physiology. Butmy favorite areas are strength and conditioning. I hope tocarry on my education as a post grad or a master’s studentand would like to do research in one of those areas.Who knows? Maybe I’ll go somewherenew again,” he adds.

That will be easier to do now that hehas been cleared by Homeland Security.“Apparently I was to be classified as asuspect alien on their computers, so it wasdifficult to get a Social Security number[which he needed in order to register atNMU]. I only live across the pond! They sortedit out now, though.”

In his internship he’s teaching a soccer class,doing a coaching course for Olympic weightlifting,

developing some research papers and sitting in on a fewclasses. “I hope to improve my research skills and further myknowledge by learning from the people here at Northern,” hesays. “I will be meeting new people and making valuable con-tacts. The students and staff are really friendly.”

“I've already made some good friends—which waseasy with an accent like this!” he jokes. “Although some ofmy phrases are lost over here.”

He’s also running with the men’s track club and play-ing pick-up soccer for fun. “My best experience so far wasa night at a ski jumping competition in Ishpeming in thecold with a big bonfire, beer and dogs. I loved it.”

He is also impressed with NMU’s sports facilities andmany activities for students. “People don't realize howlucky they are to have all these facilities and cheap PEIFmembership. I'm amazed at the funding for sports andthe amount of top coaches at Northern. People have realdedication to their sports over here.” n

From Irelandto MarquetteIrish intern Brian McGowanexperiences life across the pond.

International internshipsIt’s not uncommon for NMU educationstudents to student teach abroad (whichis much like an internship), but now anew program through NMU’sInternational Programs Office expandsopportunities for students in manyother fields by placing them in sum-mer internships in Dublin withwell-known companies and small,innovative firms. Students alsoearn credit, have time to explorethe city and stay in a new

student apartment complex.

WBy Rebecca Tavernini

mployers are often interested in offering internshipopportunities but are often unsure where to start.Here are 10 common questions—from employers

and students—that may help if you’re in a position tooffer an internship opportunity. Both perspectives areequally important to consider.

The employer’s point of view• Do I have to pay an intern? This is not always a sim-ple yes or no answer. Different academic units/majorshave different requirements for financial compensation.It’s best to consult with a representative from the academ-ic major from which you are hoping to attract students.

• Do I have sufficient or appropriate work? You wantto make sure that you don't have too little or inappropri-ate work for interns. The internship experience shouldchallenge the student to draw upon their education towork through their duties. For most students, this experi-ence helps them recognize the direct ties between theireducation and its actual application.

• How long and when will I need them? Consider thevolume of work and the time needed to accomplish spe-cific tasks to assign your intern. While some organizationsmay want students at specific times during the year, it isimportant to be mindful that NMU students completecourses on a semester cycle and often receive course creditfor an internship. Generally, late August through earlyDecember; mid-January through April; and May throughJuly are good timeframes.

• Will they have the qualifications I need? It is impor-tant to make a good match between a student’s education,experience, skill set, interests and personality and yourprojects and work environment. Be specific in thequalities you’re looking for.

• What happens if this doesn't work out? Sometimes anintern is not a good fit for an organization (for any num-ber of reasons). It is best to address performance-relatedissues as they arise, with the student and their NMUinternship supervisor. Should you ultimately determinethat the intern is not meeting your expectations, you arenot obligated to continue the relationship. It’s importantthat it is beneficial to both employer and student.

What students look for• Can I find affordable housing and transportation?Relocation, daily transportation and lodging costsstudents may incur during a paid or unpaid internshipoutside of their college or home area are major considera-tions. In some instances, friends and family can helpprovide lodging. But many students must weigh the bene-fits of firsthand experience against the potential financialsetbacks the opportunity may pose. Because few largecompanies are located in the U.P., students often need totravel to large cities, where daily life can be especiallychallenging on an intern's wage.

• When do they expect me to start and stop? Studentsreally feel confined to the semester, quarter, or trimestercycle of their school. While some great internships mayentice students to leave school several weeks before theend of the term, this puts a student in an awkwardsituation. When possible, try to follow the semester cycle(with NMU students). Be clear what their work hourswill be and if there is any flexibility.

• Will I be the only intern on staff? For many students,great friendships are created through internship experi-ences. But it can be a scary and isolating situation at first.So even if you do not have other interns at your organiza-tion, is there a way you can connect them with other localinterns or young employees?

• What are the unique opportunities beyond on-the-job experience? Students who take internships are oftenlooking for experiences beyond the day-to-day work; theyare looking for networking opportunities, leadershipdevelopment and other higher-profile experiences thatthey wouldn't typically have access to. Opportunities tomeet with executives and movers and shakers in your fieldare often big selling points for internships.

• Will I get to apply what I have learned? This may alsobe asked as, “Are the duties appropriate for a person withmy level of education?” Most students want to have somechallenging components to the work and develop newskills. However, it shouldn’t be beyond their capabilities,or menial tasks with little learning value. Finding a goodmatch for their interest and experience level is key. n

Thinking of having an intern?Ten things to consider

EBy Rober t Lion

Robert Lion is associate dean of the College of Business and can be contacted regarding internships at CORE@nmu.edu.