BEVERLY, Mass. - The semester-long internship is one of the essential pieces of Endicott's experiential learning model which includes two 120-hour internships, a semester-long internship, and senior thesis. In essence, it gets undergraduate students career ready with a loaded resume geared towards whatever their postgraduate endeavors may be.
Ten of the members of the Class of 2018 for the Gulls women's soccer program - while balancing strength and conditioning programming, captains practices, official team practice, and the start to their 2017-18 campaign - have all completed their semester-long internship. One of these exceptional student-athletes - Shelby Elwell (Litchfield, Conn.) - gave us an insight into her experience working in her desired professions through our new question and answer series.
Shelby Elwell
Hospitality Management
Semester-Long Internship: The Anthem Group
Previous Internships: La Bella Banquet Hall, Interlaken Inn
What inspired you to pursue an internship at this organization or what inspired you to go into the specific industry in which you are working?
I made my first connection with The Anthem Group in the summer of 2016 when I decided to work concessions at the Fourth of July Celebration along the Boston Charles River Esplanade. The Anthem Group manages logistics and all other aspects of consumer vending, concessions and hospitality for this event, which is how I came to meet the president and founder of the company, Chris Sinclair. I expressed my interest in working with large-scale entertainment events, and by staying in contact with him over the course of the rest of the year, I ended up taking an internship position with the company.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences on the job and what did you learn?
I would say the most meaningful experiences come from making connections and meeting new people, whether that be a client or someone I happen to meet while attending an event. Throughout this internship, I was given a lot of opportunities to attend events with the company and meet new people through networking opportunities. Another meaningful experience that I had was attending the ABCD Hoop Dreams event at the Boston Garden, hosted by Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens. I was given the opportunity to assist in creating the "revamp" plan for next year's event and offered a position on the planning board, which is incredibly exciting.
How did your internship help clarify your postgraduate career pursuits?
This internship definitely confirmed that this is the industry I want to be in. After graduation, I'm not entirely sure where I see myself yet, but there is a potential for me to continue my work with The Anthem Group if/when the opportunity presents itself.
What advice would you give students that are either just starting the internship program at Endicott or students that will be going on semester-long internship?
The one piece of advice I can give would be to go into your internship with an open mind. The job may end up being something completely different than what you imagined, but take every new experience and challenge as a learning opportunity.
The Endicott Experience feature aims to highlight the entirety of the student-athletes' experiential learning journey throughout their academic careers. The student-athlete at Endicott is afforded the same opportunities as the general student population at the College as it relates to internships, study abroad, and postgraduate career pursuits. This philosophy mirrors the mission statement of the College which every student is encouraged to take intellectual risks, pursue scholarly and creative interests, contribute to the community, and explore diverse career paths. Read more Endicott Experience features by navigating the links below.
INTERNSHIP: Fall 2015 | 2014-15 Internships | Fall 2016 Semester-Long | Gulls "Learn By Doing" On Winter Break | 442 Student-Athletes Complete Internships During 2016-17 Academic Year
STUDY ABROAD: Studying Abroad as a Student-Athlete at Endicott | James Dwyer Focuses on Opportunities Abroad in Switzerland with Les Roches Global Hospitality | Endicott Student-Athletes Study Abroad in Asia | Holly Erbe Studies Abroad in London, Paris, Amsterdam | Andrea Courtemanche Gains New Perspectives Through Study Abroad Trip |
ACADEMICS: Emily Sharpe and Eric Owens Balance STEM and Sport at Endicott | Kendra Walters, Creating Her Own Happiness Through Art at Endicott
CAREER OUTCOMES: Internships Lead To Career Outcomes | 2015 Graduates Find Immediate Success in Job Market
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