This is the second in a series examining University of Wisconsin students with internships.
For three University of Wisconsin seniors, the opportunity to carry out an internship has brought the students from Madison to the East and West Coasts.
Lindsay Anderson said she wanted the chance to travel to another state for an internship to make contacts in the business side of the entertainment industry. She took a job in Los Angeles in the summer of 2004.
Anderson, who found her internship through the University of Dreams program, said she enjoyed the opportunity to meet people from all over the country.
“It was important to get out of my comfort zone,” Anderson said.
For Stephan Duggan, New York City seemed like the best option. Duggan said he enjoyed the chance to leave his hometown in Minnesota to meet new people.
“Now I have good friends literally from all over the world,” Duggan said.
Duggan found an internship for the summer of 2004 through the University of Dreams program. The program places college students in internships at various companies in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.
According to Duggan, students attend interviews with companies in their field of interest and based on their resumes, are offered an internship for eight weeks.
“They have a working relationship with all sorts of companies,” Duggan said. “They’re really good at knowing who is the best fit.”
Duggan worked at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, a comedy and improv club in New York City, where he learned how to run a small business.
Anderson interned at the House of Blues corporate office in Los Angeles, where she developed interview guides for the company and screened candidates over the phone. Anderson said interning taught her how to work in team situations, which she said is a skill necessary for any job.
Heidi VanGrinsver said she thinks it could be beneficial to travel across the country for an internship, but she prefers the variety of an internship near Madison because it adds to the regular school year.
VanGrinsver has interned at Horizon Development Group in Verona since October 2004. She took the job to gain experience in the real estate industry, which she said is the ideal job for her after graduation.
VanGrinsver added she works with the management at Horizon Development Group LLC, which specializes in senior housing development, to choose which projects will work for the company.
According to VanGrinsver, it’s beneficial to work hands-on with projects because it supplements what she has learned at UW.
“You can learn what it is [in the classroom], but when you actually work with it, it’s a whole different story,” VanGrinsver said. “[There are] so many steps involved that you don’t learn in a book.”
Duggan said he did everything from filling order forms to taking reservations at the comedy club. However, his job also included improvisation lessons, which Duggan said were challenging.
“It was very humbling,” Duggan said. “It’s scary to get up on stage and have to be funny.”
According to VanGrinsver, one of the benefits to working with the Horizon Development Group is becoming familiar with the development process.
“I’m trying to learn as much as I can in my area,” VanGrinsver said, “You meet people in the industry you’re focused on and that’s huge.”
