ACU has an extensive network of alumni who give back to their alma mater by providing internships for fellow Wildcats – and the benefits go both ways. Internships provide a great way for students to put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice in a professional setting, and they provide a way for employers to recruit new talent. Ashlyn Stewart, senior art and design major from Abilene, is one such student. She interned with Cru Dinnerware, a company founded and run by alumna Darbie (Wilson ’03) Angell. Over the summer of 2016, Stewart worked with Angell on social media strategies, product photography and launching a blog. Stewart’s summer internship resulted in an invitation in the fall to accompany Angell’s team to the Tabletop Market in New York City, where she met with buyers and executives from Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dillard’s, Bloomingdale’s and Wayfair. She also met with media from leading bridal publications including Brides Magazine, Martha Stewart Brides and The Knot, all of which have featured Cru designs. Angell said she’s had great success hiring ACU interns. “They are extremely driven and have always performed beyond what I had initially expected of them,” she said. Statistics gathered from the May 2015 graduating class show that 71 percent of graduating seniors surveyed had completed one or more
internships while attending ACU, said Jill Fortson, director of the ACU Career Center. Internships, she said, are playing an increasingly important role in post-graduation success. “Most employers are searching for recent graduates who have obtained work experience in addition to their degree,” Fortson said. “Not only do internships provide students with the experience necessary to pursue their field of choice, they also allow students to build a professional network and learn essential skills that can only be learned outside of the classroom.” Here are just a few of the other internships ACU students held this past year: Colton Powell, sophomore finance major from Nashville, Tenn., served as an economic policy intern last summer for the office of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C. “My experience was phenomenal,” he said. “I got to do extensive research on economic issues as well as write rough drafts of potential bills.” One of the drafts he wrote involved giving
Sarah Yarbrough at the Kennedy Center
SARAH YARBROUGH
Internship program grows with support of alumni who share workspace, experiences
ASHLYN STEWART
Ashlyn Stewart and Darbie (Wilson ’03) Angell
states more flexibility to delegate their portion of federal welfare dollars to programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit with a stated goal of decreasing overall poverty. Sarah Yarbrough, senior marketing major from Farmers Branch, spent the summer as a marketing intern for the John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. She set up a subscriber benefit program with restaurants in the area and was involved in restructuring customer satisfaction surveys for Kennedy Center events. “My internship gave me so much insight into the workings of a large nonprofit organization,” she said. Taylor Spencer, junior marketing major from Joplin, Mo., interned with Sirius XM Radio Inc. as the product management assistant. Zachary Bealmear, senior management major from Dickinson, was the program management intern for NASA in Houston. Hannah Davis, junior family and child services major from Lubbock, interned with WorldWide Witness and worked for Hacienda of Hope, a nonprofit orphanage in Tabacundo, Ecuador. Elisabeth Danelski, sophomore biochemistry major from Burleson, was the research intern at the ACU Summer Research Institute in Abilene. Tre Byrd, junior youth and family ministry major from San Antonio, was youth ministry intern for Legacy Church in North Richland Hills. Joseph Vasami, junior bible and ministry major from Houston, interned for Gateway Church in his hometown. Ashlyn Anthony, senior graphic design and advertising major from Dallas, interned with Redbook magazine in New York City.
Colton Powell and Sen. Marco Rubio
If you are among the growing network of alumni who have internship opportunities, please contact Fortson at careers@acu.edu to learn ways you can connect with ACU students.
COLTON POWELL
ACU TODAY
Winter-Spring 2017
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