Interns speak on local experiences

FAIRMONT - For the 14th year in a row, Martin County/Minnesota Valley Action Council (MVAC) interns went to businesses across Martin County this summer to develop skills and learn information that was then presented to officials and professionals on Thursday.

The program, supported by the Martin County Board of Commissioners, gives area businesses summer workers. It also creates connections for Martin County high school graduates in the hopes that it will bring them back to this area after their schooling is complete.

Additionally, the program’s budget increased to $65,600 this year, so interns received a pay raise for their networking and development opportunities in Martin County.

Five interns presented their experiences on Thursday at the Hive inside the Michael and Elizabeth Garry building in Fairmont. First up was Abi Peyman, who is heading into her junior year at Wartburg College and studying elementary education. She interned at Fairmont Community Education and Recreation. Her main task was the summer playgrounds program.

"It rotated between four different parks here in town," Peyman said. "Each day we would do a game or two. We would have a small snack, and then we would do a craft. We would usually average about five to 10 kids."

Through her internship, Peyman said she got to work on planning, such as figuring out the games and crafts they were going to do and finding what they needed, adaptability, for when things didn't go according to plan, confidence, through leading and directing groups of kids and problem-solving.

Jillian York interned with Mayo Clinic Fairmont in the physical rehab department. York is entering her senior year at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania, majoring in exercise science. She is originally from Florida, and her family moved to the Fairmont area three years ago.

Through her stint, York said she has chosen occupational therapy as what she wants to do in the future.

"Occupational therapy is a profession within healthcare that helps develop and recover engagement skills after surgeries or strokes or any neurological disorder. It really focuses on ADLs, which are activities of daily living, and doing things they want to be able to do, but they can’t do it right now."

York has personal experience with this field, suffering a spinal cord injury while playing basketball her freshman year. She said this is part of her motivation for learning and developing as an occupational therapist.

"Being an athlete, I felt like I didn’t always get the help I needed," York said. "I can’t add years to these people’s lives, but as an occupational therapist, I can add life back into them. I can bring back joy into things that they used to love, or adapt to do something they love again. I want future patients to feel supported when they’re at their lowest."

Sche Wheeler is the intern for Imagine Martin. She is currently pursuing her degree in fine arts at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. In addition to exhibiting some of her work at their physical location, she spent several days artistically painting the entire storefront.

After the internship period, Wheeler said she will be continuing to work with Imagine Martin remotely during the school year.

"Assisting the Martin County art community as much as possible as I continue my studies in Minneapolis," she said. "Working with Imagine Martin has been a true joy that has provided me with incredible opportunities that continue to make themselves known."

Beau Becker, entering his senior year at Minnesota State University Mankato for a degree in finance and financial planning, spent his internship at TPI Hospitality, which manages the Best Western and Hampton Inn in Fairmont.

Through his internship, he said he learned that hotels are complex businesses involving finance, HR, revenue management, maintenance, food and beverage, sales and capital allocation.

"I learned at TPI Hospitality people show hospitality in their roles each and every day," Becker said. "That helps to create a great environment for not only guests, but coworkers as well."

Projects Becker worked on include studying the organization's employee stock ownership plan, creating reports on employee turnover and gross wage and overtime and making a performance and compensation analysis.

"Beyond all the technical experience, one of the most valuable parts of this internship has been the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with professionals across the organization," he said.

Finally, St. Olaf junior double majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science, Sydney Blomster, interned at Erickson, Zierke, Kuderer, Madsen P.A. As for why a law firm given her majors, Blomster said she is not sure what she wants to do yet.

"The law firm was a really good place to apply my analytical and technical skills while getting really good office experience," she said.

One of the main projects she worked on there was researching artificial intelligence and how that can apply to law firms. She said it can save a lot of time through automation, but it carries significant risks of presenting false or fabricated information and raises concerns about confidentiality, bias and ethics.

Blomster said her internship helped open her eyes to more opportunities.

"The skills I’m developing in math and computer science can be applied in so many places," she said. "While I still am exploring my career options, this internship and my education are opening doors for me in so many places."

Exercise Science major at Wartburg College, Cole Wiemers, interned at Zebedee Chiropractic.

Business Marketing major at Concordia Moorhead, Matthew Cone, interned at Gro Ag Solutions.

Computer Science major at Minnesota State University Mankato, Max Poetter, interned at the Martin County Courthouse's IT Department.

Conservation and Environmental Planning major at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Katelynn Sommers, interned at the Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Finance and Banking major at North Dakota State University, Kennedy Becker, interned at Profinium Bank.

Economics major at University of Wisconsin Superior, Blake Haugen, interned at Pierce Accounting.

Mechatronics major at South Central Technical College, Landon Zimmer, interned at Easy Automation.

Strategic Communications major at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Lily Jaskulke, interned at the Fairmont Chamber and Visit Fairmont and Mechanical Engineering.

Mechanical Engineering major at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Sam Grogin, interned at Avery Weigh-Tronix.

After the presentations, all 14 interns attended a workshop where they learned from local experts on using LinkedIn, building a resume and laying the groundwork for retirement.