Sean Brewster '15 -- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio

Sean Brewster

Class Year: 2015

Major: B.A. Music and Business, concentration in Arts Administration

Minor: Business Administration

Hometown: Norwalk, Ohio

Internship: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Internship Responsibilities: As part of the Columbus Foundation Summer Fellowship Program, I spent the past 10 weeks working at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC). The main project that I was given for these 10 weeks was to create a Volunteer Stewardship Plan. In essence, I was identifying each and every point in a volunteers ‘lifespan’ that RMHC would send a note of thanks or appreciation. Before my time at RMHC, I had very little experience or knowledge about Volunteer Management.

What I Learned: From managing groups of volunteers from L Brands, Nationwide Insurance and Bath & Body Works to volunteering at the Thirty-One Gifts Conference, I have developed quite an understanding of volunteer management. By working to develop a fully-fledged Volunteer Stewardship Plan, and thus creating materials and processes to support this plan, I have gained an expertise of stewardship practices.

Of all my experiences working in non-profit organizations, I have never experienced such a warm and welcoming community. Every single staff member, volunteer and donor is enveloped by a passion for this House and the families that it serves.

Jim Waterwash '15 - Community Choice Financial

Jim Waterwash

Class Year: 2015

Major: Business Administration

Hometown: Powell, OH

Internship: Community Choice Financial

Location: Dublin, OH        

Internship Responsibilities: I interned at Community Choice Financial, also known as CheckSmart.  I was the marketing intern in the marketing division. My responsibilities varied and changed frequently due to all the moving parts that marketing for a multi-state, national brand entails. One of my responsibilities was to plan and coordinate grand openings, customer appreciation days, and marketing blitzes.  This included booking entertainment, joining locals Chambers, and communicating with my supervisor to ensure expectations of these events.

In addition, I was responsible for sorting and creating an Excel spreadsheet with names for email blasts to our opt-in customers. I created budgets for each quarter of media buying through Excel. The marketing director had me attend meetings with him, our public relations firm, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and others.  I was also been tasked to constantly update our contact information of our account executives in radio and TV advertising. Other responsibilities included invoicing, organizing, communicating with the store managers about events, learning how to negotiate and buy advertising on the radio and TV, and providing reports on the quarterly budget.

What I Learned: I learned so much through this internship. I learned about how to budget for advertising and how to decipher good radio and bad radio stations to advertise for our market.  I discovered that marketing relies heavily on knowing exactly who you are trying to target to send the right message.  I even learned many tricks about Excel that will benefit me in future projects and reports. In addition, I learned office etiquette, how to deal with vendors to plan events, and so much more.

Audra Kohler '14 - OhioHealth

Name: Audra Kohler

Class Year: 2014

Major: Business Administration with a concentration in marketing

Hometown: Canton, OH

Internship: Events and Sponsorships Intern at OhioHealth

Location: Columbus, OH

Internship Responsibilities: 

Some of the responsibilities I have are managing budgets for both events and sponsorships, and I work on logistics as well. Since we have sponsorships with the Blue Jackets, the Crew and the Columbus Zoo, I recruit volunteers for OhioHealth nights as well as coordinate other logistical details.

What I learned: 

The marketing and communications department at OhioHealth works similarly to an agency. We work with a broad spectrum of people throughout the department on multiple projects at a time. I’ve learned how to prioritize and project manage. I've worked on a market research project with the other interns, and we have learned how to strategically approach a project from the beginning.

Advice about searching for an internship: 

Use the resources we have here at Otterbein. I found this internship through the CardinalCareers website. I've also used other resources like columbusinternships.com, but I've had the most luck finding internships through the CCPD.

Advice on how to make the most of an internship experience: 

My managers have always pushed me to work outside of my realm, and I've definitely utilized that. I've been on video shoots, sat in on meetings I would not have otherwise attended, and worked on projects just for the opportunity. These experiences have allowed me to learn a lot more about my field. 

Greg Moomaw '14 - Office of Admissions at Otterbein

Name: Greg Moomaw 

Class Year: 2014

Major: Sport Management with a Business Administration minor

Hometown: Sugarcreek, Ohio

Internship: Office of Admissions at Otterbein

Internship Site: Westerville, Ohio

Internship Responsibilities:

My primary and overarching responsibility as an intern for the Office of Admission here at Otterbein University was to be an ambassador for the University. I was the first contact for a lot of prospective students, and it was my ultimate duty to make a lasting and positive impression. I was in charge of planning and confirming a travel schedule for the fall and then executing it through high school visits and college fairs. I made multiple trips out of the state and to distant high schools which was a great opportunity to network and meet new people. Whilst being on the road, I also was in charge of maintaining a budget that covered expenses such as food, gas, hotel stays, and other purchases. It was my first experience managing a budget, and I was excited to learn the necessary skills. One of the other responsibilities I had was to help with our social media on Facebook and Instagram.