Retail Sales Representative, The Hershey Company
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Kutztown, PA
Activities: Chi Sigma Rho sorority, Orientation Workshop Leader (OWL), Phonathon supervisor, Women’s Center volunteer
It was a huge relief to secure a job I’m passionate about before my last semester in college. I truly believe that the organizations I was involved with and the interactions I had at Bloomsburg all helped me become a more well-rounded person and secure that job. Programs helped me by teaching me interview skills and introducing me to new kinds of businesses. Above all, my internship opportunity, made possible by a Bloomsburg alumnus, was what propelled me into the real world.
I had the chance to speak to alumnus Greg Orth ’96 and saw that he had previously worked at The Hershey Company for 15 years after starting as an intern. When I mentioned that I had just applied for an internship there, he volunteered to help by passing my resume along to his former colleague. With Greg’s help and encouragement, I was offered the internship. I took a leap of faith and ended up having an amazing experience.
As a Seasons Intern in Category Strategy and Insights at Hershey, I assisted in supporting the company’s seasonal efforts, which included researching and analyzing trends regarding our various holidays. I also worked to update monthly reports for the company and sent out weekly analyses regarding a variety of resources for my colleagues. At first it was challenging, but I quickly became more confident in the position. I learned so much through hands-on experience and had a blast working there. As my internship came to a close, I was offered a fulltime position to start after graduation! I’m so excited that I get to start my career with such a great company.
I owe a lot of my success to the Bloomsburg faculty, programs, and alumni, and I would tell all first-year students to get involved with as much as they can handle. The academics, the programs, and especially the networking opportunities, can open up so many doors for the future.
