A look at the 2023 Broad Spartan summer

Internships are a valuable part of the student experience at Michigan State University. They offer a chance for Spartans to apply classroom concepts to real-world projects, expand their professional network and jumpstart their career.

This year, Broad students had internships at companies big and small, spanning local, national and global communities. Some had the chance to take part in site visits, events and conferences and interact with senior leadership, while others soaked up every chance to connect with those around them and grow their network.

As we begin a new academic year, enjoy a recap of the 2023 Broad Spartan summer and see how today’s students are inspiring the future of business.

Symone King, human resource management junior, spent her summer at Comcast in Grand Rapids. “I learned my self-worth in the corporate world. Everyone’s part of a company; even being an intern is valued and has a purpose.”

Tania Sotelo Valencia, Full-Time MBA student, interned at Mars Inc. in Chicago and enjoyed taking part in company site visits. “During my internship, I visited three out of four manufacturing facilities, where I observed the production process of candy like Milky Way and ice cream. Although my role was in HR, focusing on DEI initiatives, it was a valuable experience. Meeting the people behind the products and brands they support and their impact on society made it even more significant.”

Jack Falk, finance senior, ventured to London and worked at iSportConnect. This summer, he attended the Change Accelerated Formula E conference, where he heard from leaders at McLaren, Jaguar, Maserati, BloombergNEF and more. “I also got to go watch the practice race and I got to go on the track. It was an incredible experience where I was able to network and learn valuable information from important people in the world of sport, climate change and racing.”

Amanda Nguyen, accounting senior, worked at EY in Detroit this summer. Her favorite experience was “being able to rotate between all the different service lines in accounting, including tax, audit and consulting. Being able to not only shadow fellow associates but also network with other interns and staff has truly made my internship rewarding and educational,” she said. “Building these connections has helped me ask countless questions to aid my professional development, where I now feel confident in my future service line. Go audit!”

Niya Patel, supply chain management junior, interned at Dell in Austin, Texas, and was able to meet other interns from all over the world and connect with leaders while honing her skills. “I was able to gain experience with real-life business problems, which made my work more impactful and allowed me to truly immerse myself into the business.”

Ellie Plunkey, marketing junior, ventured to Lisbon, Portugal, and worked at ImpacTrip. Here, she helped with marketing and communications for the company’s social media accounts. She said, “My time in Portugal was a life-changing experience that broadened my horizons and taught me to truly cherish the simple things in life. Overall, working at ImpacTrip gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feel immersed in another country’s local community. I was always surrounded by people from the community, which gave me the chance to meet so many amazing people and truly learn more about their culture.”

Riya Patel, supply chain management senior, worked for PwC in New York City, where she learned about being adaptable. “I had to learn to swiftly adjust to new situations, industries and obstacles. My project this summer was in the pharmaceutical industry, which I had no prior experience or knowledge in; I not only had to learn to adjust quickly to an unfamiliar industry but also had to assimilate to the structure of the project, our tasks as a consultant and the client’s wants and expectations.”

Gabriella Mirenda, hospitality business senior, interned with Rafanelli Events in New York City. She said her favorite experience was being part of the on-site event planning. “There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the event come together and also getting to meet the clients in person. We would spend weeks, even months, researching new and exciting ideas to add to each event we work on. Throughout many meetings and design plans of aesthetics coming together, my favorite part is seeing our ideas come to life.”

Bryce Chatman, Full-Time MBA student, spent his summer with Chevron in Houston, Texas, where he saw the importance of building relationships. “Cultivating genuine connections drives positive experiences in the workplace and helps foster collaboration on projects, which is essential toward success. Nurturing these relationships also can provide opportunity in career development or personal growth. I truly am grateful for all the relationships I was able to build at my internship, and those connections are now my network that I can rely on for assistance when needed.”

Maddison Rizzo, human resource management senior, worked at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where she gained insights into the process of hiring new employees. “I had the opportunity to be part of every step, from discovering potential candidates to helping them start their jobs smoothly. This experience also gave me a clearer picture of how Madison Square Garden’s business operates and how important it is for the HR team to make sure they have the right people in the right roles. As a student associate, I honed my communication skills, learned to create effective plans and became more adaptable to changes in a fast-paced environment, all of which boosted my confidence and readiness to make meaningful contributions to the field of HR in the future.”

To explore more Broad Spartan summer stories, view our intern gallery.