By Hudson Nuckolls
All summer, UA students have interned at some of the top companies and organizations around the world.
Kassidy Webb
Kassidy Webb was a software engineering intern in Washington, D.C. at Capital One Labs.
What do you do?
Labs is like an incubator specifically for tech in Capital One. New projects come in every week, and we only work on them for a couple months. I’ve worked on two projects. On the first one, my team created an add-in, kind of like Siri, that suggests new ways to save money based on consumer habits (like seeing that you have Apple Music and Spotify and asking if you’d like to cancel the one you use less).
My current project uses machine learning to help the risk team process new laws and regulations into Capital One policies. It helps hundreds of risk auditors with looking through over 25,000 lines of data.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
While my background in computer engineering at UA helps with the technology aspect, the most influential experience is actually being in the STEM Path to the MBA. Being in the STEM Path has given me extra opportunities during my internship, like getting involved in project management, which most interns aren’t able to do. It also gives me an advantage because I’ve had so much practice with presenting, I know how to do effective research, and I can be confident in the decisions I make regarding why the company should use my project and how it will save them money.
Will Bradley
Will Bradley, a rising sophomore, was a corporate communications intern at General Motors Co. in Detroit, Michigan.
What do you do?
My work revolves around the General Motors brand: our news relations strategy, advanced technology (electric, autonomous and connected vehicles), urban mobility (Maven car-sharing) and web presence. I work with the corporate team to create and develop PR events, announce company news, write articles for our company blog and engage our key audiences with media coverage. I also lead the announcements of news relating to EV infrastructure and alternative energy sources in our manufacturing facilities.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
I got into the communications field because I knew I wanted a career where no two days are ever the same. The advertising and public relations program in the College of Communication and Information Sciences and Capstone Agency both prepared me well for this kind of environment, and have both proven very valuable in my time at GM.
Mackenzie Rutledge
Mackenzie Rutledge was doing big things in Los Angeles, California, as a television publicity intern for Warner Bros. TV. She even got to go to Comic-Con in San Diego in July.
What do you do?
Daily I will organize the newspapers, magazines and any press clippings for the head of WBTV. I have read scripts for upcoming episodes of various shows and compiled notes for the department to use in the future. I have also completed research on various topics for different shows to be used for publicity campaign pitches in the future. One big project was San Diego Comic-Con. For that, I helped build itineraries, gather travel information for talent, create talking points for panels, create look books, and actually attended it, working on the ground as a liaison to talent for their various press stops, signings and panels throughout the weekend. The shows I specifically worked with at SDCC 2019 were Legacies, Supergirl and Riverdale. Now that SDCC is over I am helping gather the coverage of each show to track our return on investment.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
My internship is all about being able to juggle multiple high-caliber projects at one time. At UA, I have maintained a high GPA while being encouraged to be involved all across campus. UA has prepared me to have a strong work ethic that is consistent across the board that allows me to take on such large responsibilities without becoming overwhelmed. Because I have learned how to be diligent with a strong work ethic, I am able to compartmentalize different tasks and get each job done to the best of my ability.
Keilani Hamann
Keilani Hamann was a Nike Kids sales intern in Oregon. Nike chooses just over 300 interns out of a pool of 40,000 applicants.
What do you do?
My role at this internship is to create a marketplace map for the major Nike Kids account. This task involves me networking and connecting with many Nike employees in order to gather the information needed. Information that I am looking for relates to door (store) information as well as financial information of the company. Once this information is compiled, it will help the category grow even further.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
UA prepared me for this role by always being supportive. A lot of my communication skills are because of experiences I have had at UA. I am very proud to attend The University of Alabama.
Derek Hooper
Derek Hooper was a corporate communications intern at Delta Air Lines in Atlanta. Keeping with the theme of air travel, he’s also interned previously with NASA.
What do you do?
I develop news stories and releases for both internal and external distribution and work with employees, customers, media and corporate partners to highlight newsworthy developments at Delta. I have also contributed to Delta’s cyber crisis communication plan, collaborated on the launch of companywide campaigns, compiled data on internal communication processes and assisted with CSR-focused initiatives by monitoring coverage and developing award submissions.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
At Delta, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most gifted communicators I’ve ever known and contribute to a variety of different projects. I cannot overstate the extent to which the advertising and public relations program at UA has prepared me for this opportunity and provided the tools necessary for me to be successful.
Ivy Vanessa Banez
Ivy Vanessa Banez was an athletic training intern at Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania.
What do you do?
Alongside four other students from other universities, we were given the responsibility to assist certified athletic trainers in evaluating and treating campers from eight-years-old to seventeen. We as a group and as individuals were challenged to become better clinicians, but were also able to embrace the camp life by having fun with the kids and staff.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
My time at UA absolutely prepared me for the opportunity I had at Woodward Camp in many ways I could not imagine. Stepping outside of UA into a new environment with the knowledge and wisdom my professors and preceptors passed on to me assisted me when it came to being confident in myself as a clinician. They work hard to assure their students are well educated and prepared for any possible situation that may arise. Not only did they prepare me, but they were and continue to be supportive.
Ethan Mines
Ethan Mines was a software intern telecommuting with Scientific Applications International Corp.
What do you do?
My project is concerned with improving the search engine used by patent examiners at the U.S. Patent Office. Upon receiving an application for a new patent, examiners must use the search engine to determine whether the idea has already been patented. I am applying deep neural networks to capture the overall meaning of a patent document, allowing the search engine to better find relevant prior patents and speed up the examination process.
How has your time at UA prepared you for success at your internship?
The incredible number of undergraduate research opportunities in the computer science department has made working in research and development with SAIC an easy transition.