Internships helped me clarify my calling

By Katie Hirv ’22

A far-reaching network of Wartburg alumni and friends makes it easier for current students to find high-quality internships in their chosen fields. And there are few places with a stronger network than Denver, Colorado, where Alexis Green ’22 completed an internship at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts that allowed her the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the marketing world and learn what type of working environment would best suit her in the future.

As a sophomore, Green enrolled in the college’s Wartburg West program, an experiential, urban studies program that offers internships and opportunities to develop new professional skills and refine personal values. DCPA is a longtime partner in the Denver area, offering students internships at one of the nation’s largest nonprofit theatre organizations.“

When I was at the DCPA, I did a lot of social media. I pretty much ran their Instagram account. I had some guidance along the way obviously, but I picked the post’s copy and the graphics,” said Green. “I had so many networking opportunities with other people in the organization that were still doing marketing, but they were more looking at audience engagement, or they were the people doing the public relations stuff.”

Alexis Green stands outside the Denver Center for the Performing Arts building

During the summer of 2020, Green, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, completed a remote internship, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, for Collins Aerospace, a leader in the global aerospace and defense industry based in Cedar Rapids.

“It (my internship) was a lot of research, search engine optimization, building websites, and updating information to make it a little more cohesive and easier to understand. It was a really unique experience,” Green said. “I also assisted with their business and regional aircraft division.”

Looking ahead to her final year at Wartburg and post-graduate life, Green is considering attending graduate school and hopes to work in a work environment similar to the DCPA.

“Marketing is so broad that I honestly could go anywhere. After having a nonprofit theater experience, I would prefer working in either a smaller corporate setting or a nonprofit organization, just because I like the type of work that those places do and that they serve the community around them,” said Green.

“Internships allow you to see all the different facets and opportunities you really have. They allow you to really see what it means to be a part of the business world and help you just know what you want to do.”

Reflecting on her time at Wartburg so far, Green has learned the importance of taking advantage of opportunities and making connections with students, faculty, and staff.“ Take advantage of every opportunity that’s given to you. Every single opportunity that’s thrown at you, take it!

“This is the time of your life that you’re making those connections and forming those relationships with people that could help you jumpstart a career or help you get in contact with someone that could help you,” Green said.

To learn more about the internship opportunities available through Wartburg, visit https://www.wartburg.edu/internships/.