For students at the Lundquist College of Business, summer 2019 was not a time for rest and relaxation. Undergraduate and graduate-level students instead took advantage of the break to pursue internships and study tours—unique opportunities intended to deepen educational outcomes while also providing networking and career-advancement opportunities for after graduation.
Recipients of the Hawes Internship Award were granted financial support to participate in internships with businesses and organizations located all over the world—from Shanghai to Nashville—and in industries ranging from professional sports to engineering and healthcare.
Created through a generous gift from Joseph Hawes "88, MBA '94, Hawes Internship Awards empower both graduate and undergraduate students alike to dream bigger and seek internships that they might not otherwise be able to pursue due to the costs associated with interning—such as travel and housing.
“It's a tool to encourage students to think broadly and not limit themselves," said Chris Bennett, senior associate director of career engagement at Mohr Career Services in the Lundquist College of Business.
“We've been able to support 17 undergraduate and 8 graduate students this year thanks to the Hawes Endowment," added Bennett.
One of the students was Megan Hayes, an accounting student who interned in Toyko, Japan, at Beacon Platform, a provider of enterprise software solutions for the financial services industry.
“I have been able to interact with the CEO and COO of Beacon Platform," said Hayes. “Just in the past couple weeks, we've signed on four clients."
Summer 2019 also saw MBA students complete internships between their first and second year of the program. MBA candidate Louis Penna pursued a quality opportunity close to home, interning with Earth Lab Holdings/Wise Woman Herbals, a botanical products company in Creswell, Oregon.
While there, Penna helped forecast financial statements for a proposed separate business unit, as well as helped to restructure operations and led market research and business development projects for the contract manufacturing division.
A bit farther away from home, MBA students traveled to Asia in early September as part of the annual Engaging Asia study tour. Students visited cities like Shanghai and Singapore, interacting with prominent business experts in the Asian market, college alumni, and some of the regions industry-leading companies.
One valuable opportunity the students received in Asia was a visit to the Shanghai office of Wieden+Kennedy, allowing an insider perspective on how the well-known Portland-based ad agency approaches business in the region. They also toured the Mailman Group, a global sports digital marketing agency helping European soccer clubs increase their profile in Asian markets.
Other stops included Spraying Systems Co.'s Shanghai factory, where students learned about the company's technology and operations. Sports business MBA students in the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center meanwhile visited an adidas factory in Shenzou, China.
Summer 2019 also saw sports business undergraduate students participate in the Warsaw Sports Business Strategy Study Tour of Europe following a 10-week intensive online course. Students participating in tour had the opportunity to travel to The Netherlands and Germany to engage with such companies as Nike, adidas, Brooks, German Olympic Federation, Lagardere, Ajax FC, Berlin Hertha FC, Wieden+Kennedy, Dutch Cyclists Union, Park Run, and more. In addition, following the tour, a dozen students participated in InSport Education's Global Business of Football immersion program in partnership with Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge in London.
“What's so important about the Warsaw Sports Business Strategy Study Tour is how it allows undergraduates to look at this industry from a global perspective," said Josh Gordon, senior instructor of sports business and Woodard Family Foundation Fellow, who accompanied the students. “Also, the unparalleled access we get using the world as our classroom. There's no way a textbook can keep up with the kind of learning we immerse ourselves in on these trips."
Whether it was an internship or a study tour, opportunities enjoyed by Lundquist College students this past summer offered an invaluable look into a variety of industries, helping students explore career options and areas where they might want to focus their studies once school is back in session.
—William Kennedy