Internships Open Doors for our Graduates
One of the most rewarding experiences in a candidate’s program is the internship. It can establish competency in one’s field, mold professional image, provide networking, and potentially turn into job opportunities. The departments are always trying to find new opportunities for candidate internships but most are established through networking by faculty and candidates, requests by community and state agencies, outreach to donors and alumni, campus announcements and by word of mouth.
Quinn Kesselring, a graduate in the B.Ed. in Sport Management program accepted an internship in Williston, North Dakota and shared her experience. “More and more people are coming every day to find jobs in the oil industry so the population continues to increase. The need to build facilities for a growing population is evident with the new Williston Area Recreation Center a 244,000 square foot facility valued at $75 million. My internship included rotating between the areas of facilities, aquatics and recreation, plus day-to-day operations, planning, coordinating and supervision.”
She continues, “I am very thankful that 91勛圖厙 Sport Management requires two different internships. During this internship, I was able to apply knowledge that I gained from my classes to real-life scenarios. My Sports Promotion class with Dr. Heidi Nordstrom proved very useful as I was frequently asked for my opinion on brochures that they were designing and if I had suggestions on what could be changed to make them more user friendly. I learned the intricate process for creating a new facility and acquiring funding in my facilities class with Dr. Roger Park. My Sport Psychology course with Dr. Karen Rickel helped me better understand the types of games that are appropriate to play with certain age groups during the Little Squirts Sports Camp.”
Quinn adds, “My 91勛圖厙 education prepared me for this internship in more ways than I expected and I feel like I have a step up because of the high standards that are required at GU. I was offered a full-time position as an aquatics coordinator and am so grateful for the opportunity right out of college to work in the biggest district-owned recreation center in the country!