Career Development: How My Internship is Shaping My Future Goals

By Stone Montgomery

My internship with the Student Success and Retention team has been a life-changing experience for me as a senior business management student. I’ve gained a great deal of knowledge about engaging with students like myself and the value of young voices.  What really excites me however, is how this experience is assisting in the development of my long-term professional objectives. Post graduation, I want to continue to expand and explore my experience in marketing, strategy, analysis, creativity and impact work. This internship has given me a strong platform on which to set my next steps.

My work over these last few weeks with the Gardner Institute has given me valuable skills that I will need for my future work. For example, one of my main duties has been to elevate the student voice via a first person account blog. Other students can see their experiences reflected and validated on screen, potentially have questions answered and see the possibility of an environment like Gardner Institute. This work includes strategic development, writing, creativity and project management. I have witnessed how important business principles like data analysis and communication play a part in achieving results, from working together on tactics that enhance engagement to analyzing information to find trends in student performance. I have developed a deeper understanding of how ideas get applied and how procedures that benefit the enterprise and the larger educational community come to fruition through cross team work.

In addition, being a part of this team has allowed me to gain confidence. If you have been following along, imposter syndrome was a thing a few blog posts back.  In my opinion I have been able to enhance my participation, visibility and leadership skills by contributing to group projects and team meetings. Furthermore, I’ve had the chance to hone my ability to find solutions, learn the value of flexibility and creative thinking by managing a variety of tasks. This includes: processing data and coming up with plans for student success techniques. I’m pretty sure these skills will come in handy post graduation.

The opportunity to grow my professional network has been a valuable addition to my internship. I’ve had the honor of working with key leads at Gardner.  I am hopeful that I get to continue to develop professional relationships with more of my coworkers over the remaining weeks. This experience has afforded me access to mentors who have provided direction and assistance on managing my career after college. These relationships have proven helpful as I consider my options for the future. I’ve been able to think more critically about my long-term goals.

As I decide what I do next, whether it’s creating my own brand, working for a sports, media or marketing agency for example, my ultimate objective is to be my own boss. I’ve gained valuable experience in project management, flexibility, and strategic thinking from my internship- and I am thankful. My ambition to pursue a profession that combines profit and impact has been strengthened by being a member of a team that is driven by a mission. I want to apply the same purpose based principles by assisting brands with telling genuine stories that meaningfully connect with their audiences. Finally, through this internship, I’ve gained a clearer idea of how I want to position myself after graduation. I feel more comfortable today to pursue a job that blends my love of business strategy with my passion for creativity. I’m confident that the abilities and experiences I’m acquiring today will provide a solid foundation for any job I do. I  have considered what type of leader I want to be. As I approach graduation, I feel more prepared to take the next steps in developing a career that connects my passion for creativity, strategy, and innovation.

Stone Montgomery, Class of 2025

Blog post #3