Article Tag Archives: Internship

Truman Students Complete FLITE Internship at Boeing

Boeing FLITE interns Christopher To, Waymon White, Kimberly Carlton and Blake Miller

Boeing FLITE interns Christopher To, Waymon White, Kimberly Carlton and Blake Miller

Four Truman students completed the Boeing Future Leaders in Thought and Experience (FLITE) internship during the 2013 summer.

The Boeing FLITE Internship Program is a unique, fast-paced 10-week internship program designed to create world-class inclusive thought leaders. The program structure teaches participants to drive innovative and creative business-focused solutions. Four days during the week are spent working at Boeing in a specific business function. Every Friday throughout the internship, the students participate in FLITE School, which is separated into five sections: Beyond Business Basics; Captain and First Officer Session; Ready for Takeoff; Thought Leaders Take FLITE; and 20/20 Vision. This structure was designed to maximize the FLITE participants’ learning experiences and increase their business acumen, as well as create more immediate synergies between professional development and impactful results.

FLITE is a true partnership between Boeing and three select Midwest universities: Truman, Saint Louis University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. For the 10-week internship, interns live together in the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Oak Hall Dormitory. The summer culminates with the interns presenting to Boeing executives about their experience. This internship allows Boeing to identify top talent earlier in their academic careers while providing students with an unparalleled learning experience that they can apply to their business classes.

Expo Connects Students with Future Career Paths

More than 695 students attended Truman’s Career Expo, which took place on campus Oct. 2. Representatives from 107 businesses, non-profit organizations and graduate schools were on hand to recruit Truman students.

Several organizations hosted on-campus interviews for internships and jobs Oct. 3, with 214 students taking part. Additional companies collected resumes and coordinated both on-campus and on-site interviews for later dates.

In addition to seniors seeking full-time employment, many undergraduate students use the Career Expo to find summer internships with a wide variety of companies such as Cerner, Aldi, Monsanto, 3 Interactive and Target.

The University hosts a Career Expo in both the fall and spring semesters and many Truman alumni come back to campus to participate. For information about how to participate in the next Career Expo, taking place March 5, 2014, contact Polly Matteson, assistant director and employer relations coordinator of the Career Center, at pollym@truman.edu.

Mark Your Calendar — Career Expo March 5, 2014

Class Project Grows into Local Non-Profit Organization

2013 Green Thumb Project Staff Members

2013 Green Thumb Project Staff Members

Watching a Truman volunteer project grow into a non-profit organization isn’t something every student gets to experience. Brockell Briddle (’13) has worked tirelessly since 2010 to watch what was once a small seed grow into something larger than she could have ever imagined.

The Green Thumb Project began in the spring of 2009 as a small 800 square foot schoolyard garden on the campus of Ray Miller Elementary School. It was created by a class of Truman students enrolled in a “Grassroots Environmentalism” course taught by Michael Kelrick, chair and professor of biology. The garden fulfilled a service-learning component for the course and resulted in a University-student run, after-school “Garden Club” program for elementary youth. By encouraging learning through experience-based methods, the program included many interdisciplinary activities to engage the children. Journaling and art projects, as well as applying concepts of science and math through planting and harvesting vegetables, were all part of the outdoor class curriculum.

Since the class project, the garden and the program have grown into something much larger. In the spring of 2010, MAE student Ashley May and Briddle joined together to revitalize the effort.

“When I learned about the garden and the idea of the program, I was truly inspired and saw a great deal of potential,” Briddle said.

Truman MAE students teach a lesson outdoors to students in the summer school program.

Truman MAE students teach a lesson outdoors to students in the summer school program.

The two young women catalyzed on the opportunity of leadership and began expanding the after-school program to include a broader education and community focus. That summer, they began taking the elementary school students to the local farmers’ market to sell their produce. They incorporated the ideals of entrepreneurship and social-enterprise into their curriculum and emphasized the importance of creating a closed-loop agriculture system to their students.

In 2011, Briddle and May filed for Missouri non-profit status and coined the name “The Green Thumb Project.” They began fundraising, writing grants and organizing community events. In 2012, they partnered with the skills USA team at the Kirksville Area Technical Center and received a $10,000 “Community Enhancement Grant” from Lowe’s Corporation. This grant, in conjunction with a land donation from the Kirksville School District, enabled the Green Thumb Project to build a new 2,400 square foot garden and outdoor classroom that enhanced the overall structure of the program.

In Briddle’s final year of study at Truman, she focused her efforts toward serving the interest of the Green Thumb Project. Under the advising of Kelrick, Briddle designed an internship around non-profit administration and capacity building for the organization. Her efforts resulted in securing more community partnerships, annual funding and stipends for internship positions.

Briddle believes her greatest accomplishments for the Green Thumb Project to be within the past year. She attributes much of the success to the hiring and efforts of an AmeriCorps VISTA member James DeBiasi. Last fall alone, DeBiasi assisted in hosting more than 25 classes and helped coordinate more than 550 students (K-5) in the new outdoor education site.

“All of our lesson plans are aligned with current state learning standards. Our job is to assist the teachers and facilitate them in using the outdoors as a tool for learning,” Briddle said.

Other successes last year include creating a Board of Directors for the organization, hosting more than 100 Truman student volunteers and organizing a “Farm to Table” community dinner. New partnerships, including the Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency and the Kirksville Housing Authority, have enabled the Green Thumb Project to offer services to the greater community. Last season, the Green Thumb Project staff contributed time to the Jamison Street Community Garden, created an online local food buyer’s program and built more than 20 community garden beds at Village 76 in Kirksville.

Briddle credits the partnership of Truman and the Kirksville School District for much of the Green Thumb Project’s success.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of Truman faculty, student volunteers and the open-mindedness of [the Kirksville School District],” Briddle said.

In coming years, the Green Thumb Project hopes to become an established 501(c)3 and continue to build their capacity as a non-profit organization.

“The Green Thumb Project has been a way for me to give back to my home community, and I have developed a deep passion for it,” Briddle said. “I hope others will join me in enabling this project to grow and thrive.”

Briddle believes the simplest way to get involved with the Green Thumb Project is with a donation of money or time. The project is currently in need of a CPA and an attorney, but welcomes volunteer help of any kind. To make a donation, become a volunteer or learn more about the organization, visit greenthumbproject.org or email gtgarden.raymiller@gmail.com.

Hire a Bulldog

You know the quality of a Truman education, and we are happy to advertise your career and internship opportunities for all Truman students to search at no cost to you. You’re invited to use “Experience,” the Career Center’s online job board, to view résumés, set up interviews on or off campus and search Truman students with active profiles.

You can also connect with students at Truman State University’s bi-annual Career Week and Career Expo. They welcome businesses, non-profits, government agencies, school districts and graduate and professional programs to attend. Activities for Career Week include professional speakers, employer presentations, information sessions, Expo exhibit tables, on-campus interviews and more.  It is a great way to get involved, reconnect and talk with some great students. The next Career Expo will be held on campus Oct. 2, 2013. For more information, visit career.truman.edu.

Landing a Dream Job at Roger Dean Stadium

Kristen Cummins (’09) holding microphone

Kristen Cummins (’09) holding microphone

Kristen Cummins (’09) told her professors during her time at Truman that she would someday work for the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, her dream came true when she became the marketing and minor league assistant at Roger Dean Stadium, in Jupiter, Fla. Roger Dean Stadium is the spring training home to the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, as well as their respective Class-A Advanced affiliates, the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Prior to accepting the position, Cummins had already developed some connections at Roger Dean Stadium. As a student at Truman, where she was an exercise science major with a specialization in sport and recreation management, Cummins had conducted her field experience at Roger Dean Stadium. After graduating from Truman in 2009, she pursued a master’s degree at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville where she was required to complete an internship as the final component of her degree. Having kept in contact with her former supervisor at Roger Dean Stadium, she applied for and received a minor league intern position at the stadium.

In May 2011, Cummins received a master’s of science in kinesiology with a specialization in sports management. She then completed her internship at Roger Dean Stadium in September 2011 and stayed on with the stadium in her new position as the marketing and minor league assistant.

“I take care of our monthly media buys and keep our marketing schedule organized on a daily basis,” Cummins said. As part of her job, she handles all on-field promotions during spring training and the minor league season. In addition, Cummins attends community events and runs the stadium’s Education Day, a program that hosts five minor league baseball games in the month of May. Cummins also heads up Scout Night, an annual event where hundreds of Cub Scouts sleep over on the outfield lawn. During the time that Cummins has been in charge of Scout Night, the amount of revenue the event brings in has doubled.

After spring training starts in mid-February, Cummins’ position goes into full swing. “During this time, myself and the rest of the front office staff are busy selling group tickets and last-minute sponsorship deals and making sure the stadium is in tiptop shape for the fans,” Cummins said.
She considers customer service to be the most important duty throughout spring training. “Remember, the fan experience starts in the parking lot,” she said. “It’s crucial to know all of the answers to all questions a fan may throw at you, treat them kindly and smile.”

Working with the 2011 World Series champions has been one of Cummins’ most memorable experiences. “It was riveting to see all of the 2006 World Series banners come down and the 2011 banners go up,” said Cummins. “Overall, the experiences I have had so far working with the St. Louis Cardinals are ones I will never forget.”

“Life is so hectic sometimes, and what I love about baseball is that it remains constant,” Cummins said. “After all, baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes for a reason.”

Helping Nab Computer Crimes

Truman student Nick Spear’s childhood dream was to become an astronaut. Although he doesn’t see himself on a trip to space anytime soon, Spear discovered that an internship with NASA in Washington, D.C., last summer provided a nice compromise.

Nick Spear, a math and computer science major, landed a summer internship working with NASA's Computer Crimes Division.

Nick Spear, a math and computer science major, landed a summer internship working with NASA’s Computer Crimes Division.

Spear’s previous experience in researching tools and techniques for detecting infected computers helped prepare him for his internship with NASA.

Spear worked in the NASA Computer Crimes Division during his internship.

“Every federal agency has their own Office of the Inspector General, which helps catch any fraud, waste or abuse going on within the agency,” Spear said. “In the Computer Crimes Division (CCD), we looked at any and all computer-related crime that is costing NASA money.”

CCD special agents research various cases of computer crimes, ranging from a single employee searching inappropriate content to vast networks for malware that cause problems all over the world. After an agent began a case, Spear’s job was to help out by doing forensics on computer drives, calculating the cost that NASA incurred from the crime and building new systems for the office to use.

Spear worked with the East Coast Division of the NASA CCD, which was comprised of three special agents and his boss, the agent in charge of the East Coast CCD. “Working in such a small group made for a fun environment,” Spear said. “That made it easy to learn a lot during my internship.”

The East Coast CCD helped Spear gain a great deal of technical experience, which he believes will be useful for his future goals. Spear said that the employees at the NASA CCD each had their own diverse working style. This helped him see different perspectives on how to get a job done, which aided him in learning the trade.

During his summer internship, Spear was invited to return to the NASA CCD for a second summer of work. He is currently looking at graduate schools in the Washington, D.C., area so he can continue working for the CCD while completing his school. As far as plans after graduate school, Spear is keeping his options open.

“I’d love to continue what I’m doing, perhaps becoming an agent myself,” Spear said. “But other exciting possibilities may present themselves farther down the road.”