For anyone looking for an internship opportunity, the Fall Internship Showcase, organized by the Buena Vista University Office of Career and Personal Development that took place last Thursday night (Sept. 21) was a great place to gather information.  

The showcase consisted of eight different presenters, ranging from a sophomore to an alumnus, who discussed their internships. The speakers covered all aspects of the internship process from how they heard about their internships, to what they did to get them to what they got out of the experiences.  

Those who presented and their internship sites included: 

• Lesa Turnquist (2015 graduate) – Student Wellness and the BVRMC Fitness and Health Center 
• Alexis Keller (sophomore) – Linn & Associates 
• Elizabeth Sibenaller (junior) – Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) 
• Joshua Hoffmann (senior) – Dubuque Fighting Saints athletic training 

• Madeleine McCormick (senior) – The Washington Center, PBS’ To the Contrary 
• Sarah Mackey (senior) – United States Department of Defense and Microsoft (Bing Headquarters) 
• Dee Friesen & Emily Kenny (seniors) – Ocean’s Campus South Africa (wildlife photography) 

Some of the advice from the presenters was to “look for internships as soon as possible,” to “work on your networking” because you never know who you know that can help you get an internship/job, and to “go to the Career and Development Office” and utilize the professional staff there. That staff includes Director Lori Berglund, Assistant Director Kristi Davis and Employer & Alumni Coordinator Zoey Breese.  

In an interview with The Tack after the event, Berglund and Davis answered a couple of key questions about the showcase event: 

1. Why do you think the Internship Showcase is an important event?

Lori Berglund: It gives students opportunities to hear form other students about multiple internships. It also allows students to get more information about internships, see what’s out there, and experience the range of internships across a variety of majors.  

Kristi Davis: Internships confirm a career choice, but it also can help lead you to what you want to do. Even if you fail, you still learn because you learn that isn’t what you want to do. This is an excellent way to see firsthand what happens at different internships.   

2. What can students gain from this event?

Lori Berglund: Students can hear about the experiences of each internship from their peers’ point of view. They can also get ideas for what kind of internship they might want to look for. It’s also different to hear about an internship from a peer rather than someone from Career Services or reading about its description online.  

Kristi Davis: Students can really get the point that internships are important and that it’s okay to fail. Also, they can see that the connections that your internship can provide you are more important than you will ever know. It’s important for students to be able to apply what they learn in class to real life work. That is the most valuable thing they can receive from an internship.  

Students who attended the event said they loved the variety of majors that were represented in the showcase. Some, however, said they wished there were more opportunities showcased for biology majors. They also loved how they could see the process of how to get an internship.  

“I thought you just heard about it and applied,” one student attendee said. “You hear about it a lot from professors, but it didn’t really click as to how important it truly was until this showcase.”