Gleaming and gigantic, the Western Star truck parked outside the Lillis Business Complex was the first sign that something new and different was afoot at the Lundquist College of Business.
The big rig—close cousin to the one that will roar into the role of Optimus Prime in this year's Transformers: Age of Extinction movie—was the calling card of Daimler Trucks North America. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the company is a division of Daimler AG, the German multinational corporation that is the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.
A grand total of ten Daimler representatives, including six University of Oregon alumni, spent a full day at the Lillis Business Complex sharing their knowledge of—and enthusiasm for—the company at a variety of events.
Among them was Paige Jarmer "10, a marketing specialist in the company's human resources department, who unveiled “Ducks at Daimler," a brand-new internship program designed specifically for Lundquist College undergraduates.
The brainchild of Jarmer and Lundquist College assistant director for employer development Ronnie Casanova, Ducks at Daimler aims to open a pipeline for the company to attract top-achieving business and accounting undergraduates by growing students" awareness of the opportunities offered at the company.
“We are thrilled to work with Daimler. The company melds a deep commitment to Portland and the state of Oregon with a truly global reach. With Ducks at Daimler, our students have a chance to get to know a remarkable company that's right here in Oregon," said Casanova.
At a luncheon for a small group of faculty and Daimler representatives, Daimler's Jarmer offered an overview of the company and an inside look at plans for the new internship program.
What was it like for Jarmer to present in front of faculty, some of whom had been her teachers just four years ago?
“I am a proud Duck through and through, so it was both a pleasure and an honor to come back to campus with an internship program I helped develop," said Jarmer, who started her career at Daimler as an intern in 2010 and was accepted into CAReer, the company's prestigious, enterprise-wide graduate training program in 2011.
“My career at Daimler is rewarding on so many fronts. It means a lot to me to help open doors at the company for other Ducks," she said.
See photos of the big truck, download an info sheet about the Ducks at Daimler program, and get company info in a downloadable presentation.