Chamber interns spend summer gaining skills for the future
Discovering the Real World
Chamber interns spend summer gaining skills for the future
For many college students , summer vacation is the time to put away the books before the fall semester — not so for Anna Layaou , Brian Maguire and Rocio Saavedra , the Chamber ’ s three interns .
Anna Layaou , a rising senior at The University of Scranton , has worked for the communications department since late 2016 . Brian Maguire , also a rising senior at The University of Scranton , is spending the summer working for the government affairs division . Rocio Saavedra , a rising sophomore at Penn State Worthington Scranton , is working for the workforce and economic development departments . All three credit their internships with providing them necessary skills for their lives after graduation .
“ I know that this internship will give me a great advantage when it comes to finding a job in the future ,” said Rocio Saavedra . “ Working with different groups of people on various different projects gives me a different perspective on what the business world is really like .”
For Anna Layaou , the internship helped her cement her decision to go into marketing as a full-time career .
“ My Chamber internship set the foundation for my career — it gave me an entirely new set of skills that can only be learned when you actually work , as opposed to just taking a class ,” she said . “ During my time at the Chamber , I learned that internships are not getting coffee or doing busy work . They are all about collaborating with your bosses and sharing your fresh , new ideas , and actually taking on real projects .”
The interns applied for their respective positions through the Small Business Internship Initiative , a program of the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center ( SBDC ), which helps businesses learn about , attract , and host high-value internships .
Internship postings are shared with career development offices at 11 colleges and universities in the region . Interested businesses can email the SBDC at info @ smallbusinessinternships . com or call ( 570 ) 941-4168 for more information . Students can search for small business internship opportunities that fit their career goals by visiting www . smallbusinessinternships . com .
“ We have a tremendous advantage in our region of having thousands of students within a small geographic footprint ,” said Gretchen Kukuchka of the SBDC . “ Hosting an intern can be a great springboard for your business and we provide free consulting to assist you every step of the way .”
According to Brian Maguire , this opportunity has allowed him increase his leadership capabilities and become an asset in his future workplace .
“ Every day that I step into the Chamber building I am reminded that accepting this internship was one of the smartest decisions I have made in my professional career ,” he said . “ Almost immediately after I started my internship , I learned the true meaning of responsibility and how to think critically .”
12 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce