Students strike gold with internships

BY ASHLEY VANWYHE
Since 2000, Northwestern has placed 549 students into practical and helpful internships. These internship opportunities are available for or without credit and in a variety of majors. These majors include communications, business, accounting, chemistry, computer science, biology, human resources, psychology, theatre and writing and rhetoric. Also, many of the internship sites include local businesses such as Diamond Vogel Paints in Orange City and places much farther away such as the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C.
This spring, 18 students can be found interning with various businesses and organizations. One student, Lindsey Vander Velde, a senior business administration and art double-major is interning as an administrative assistant with Interstates, an electrical engineering company out of Sioux Center. VanderVelde said she enjoys working in an office environment, and one of her responsibilities involves organizing engineering and drafting binders for clients.
Nathan VanGinkel, an agri-business and finance major interning with Northwestern Bank, also said he is enjoying his internship.
“I have been able to meet some great people that have a desire to share their knowledge of banking,” VanGinkel said. “Being able to hear some of their own experiences has helped with the dos and don’ts of the industry.”
Sometimes internships not only fulfill credit hours and class requirements but also turn into actual jobs.
Lee Stover, a 2010 public relations graduate, interned with RISE Ministries out of Sheldon and was later offered a position with the organization. As an intern, Stover began writing devotional material, helping with the missions programs and planning RiseFest. After becoming an employee, Stover was given even bigger responsibilities.
“I’ve been able to travel out of the country leading mission teams,” Stover said. “I’ve been on TV and radio, and I’ve had the opportunity to emcee RiseFest multiple times.”
Stover  encouraged students to try out an internship.
“I highly recommend them,” Stover said. “They’re a perfect way to metaphorically get your feet wet in the real world and, if used correctly, can help prepare you for what work life is like after college.”
Stover also gave some advice for future interns.
“Be a sponge,” Stover said. “Soak up every aspect of your internship, and just dive in. You’ll go a lot further in your internship and in life if you go above and beyond the status quo.”