Written by Kaley Brown '23
- ECGulls.com Contributor
BEVERLY, Mass. – As a senior business management major, George Balian '21 (Burlington, Mass.) had plenty of internship options to choose from when it came to picking his semester-long internship this fall.
To the average person, choosing to complete your third, final, and longest internship as a business management major at the Massachusetts State House in Boston wouldn't necessarily seem to link together.
Well, except for Balian.
In making sense of his unique decision, Balian explained "I chose to intern at the Massachusetts State House for my semester-long internship because it is a great opportunity to help me learn and grow in the near future once I graduate from Endicott," said Balian. "I also chose it because it can be a great way to learn and translate the causes and effects it can have on businesses when a certain bill is passed in Massachusetts."
Balian sees himself staying in the field of business for the long-term after he graduates from Endicott.
"After graduating from Endicott, I plan to stay in business and find a successful job in business development where I can manage part of the marketing sections of a company, as well as sales where I can sell their products."
Crediting the internship program, Balian has progressed well in his studies and experiential learning endeavors throughout his time at Endicott.
"These internships have helped me greatly as I continue to use the advice and knowledge they have shared with me and keep them with me as I continue my career in the near future."
Prior to his current internship in Boston, Balian interned at The Renaissance Network, also known as TRN, located in Newton, Massachusetts, a company that, according to its website, "has helped companies grow strong sales, marketing and leadership teams that impact education." Their mission is to "impact education by providing targeted, specialized search and consulting services to uncover the best talent within the United States and across the world," according to their website.
Speaking about his time at TRN, Balian says "My past internship at The Renaissance Network has prepared me for my semester-long internship because of the tasks and challenges I was able to face. By having me sit in on meetings to see the real-life challenges that they wanted to overcome, and also helped me understand the thought process and decision making that went into it to overcome those challenges. I was also able to learn more about how to use different types of software they were using that I can benefit from in the future such as SalesForce, Zoominfo, and Keap.
Balian continued.
"I believe these can help me with my semester-long internship and the future because I will have more knowledge when it comes to decision making and how to go about overcoming challenges to help the company," said Balian on how he feels well-prepared to finish his internship over the next couple of months at the State House.
While Balian makes the commute to Boston every Monday through Thursday to log the required 480 hours at his internship, he is also balancing his third and final season playing football at Endicott as a cornerback.
Thus far in his three-year career on Endicott's football squad, Balian has played a total of 26 games, recording a total of 57 tackles (35 solo, 22 assisted) and 10 pass breakups.
Balian's career at Endicott only spans three seasons as he transferred to The Nest in the spring semester of his freshman year in 2016-17.
Meanwhile, this season, in particular, Balian has contributed to a dominant Endicott defense that has helped the Gulls to a 6-2 overall record and 4-1 mark in conference play.
When asked about how playing football at Endicott has impacted his college career and his life in general, Balian beamed, as he will forever remember his football career as a Gull fondly. "Playing football here has impacted my college experience in such a positive way over the past four years because of the brotherhood we all have for one another which makes this team special."
In his time on Endicott's football team, Balian has only experienced growth in the program.
In his first season, 2017-18, the team finished with a 3-7 record. Next season, in 2018-19, Endicott finished with a 7-4 record, making it into the playoffs. Now, with one of the best records in Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) play, Balian and the team are only getting better as another potential playoff berth inches closer and closer.
It's more than just football, though. Success on the field is just a small piece of what being part of the Endicott College football family is all about.
Balian explained, "The program is heading in the right direction because of the leadership we have from the players and the trust we have for the coaching staff. This program is a family and we push each other each and every day to become better football players and even better people around campus."
In the midst of his fourth and final year as a student-athlete at Endicott, Balian offered advice for incoming freshmen, student-athletes or not.
"Use the resources you are given," said Balian. "These resources, such as the writing center, and staying after to talk to your professors and internship coordinators can help you a long away while at Endicott to be successful."
Balian continued.
"Time management is a huge part of your college experience, especially with all the free time you have," Balian added. "Being on top of your work makes life a lot easier in college rather than trying to catch up from being behind on work. The professors here want to see you do well, and by asking them questions and staying after class, they can help you understand the material you don't understand."
Solid advice from a seasoned vet whose advice should help him go a long way in business upon graduation from Endicott.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)