intern

Internship Spotlight: Hannah Benderoth at the O’Pake Institute

an internship spotlight flyer featuring a high school girl

Hannah Benderoth is a senior who completed a fall semester internship in marketing at the O'Pake Institute for Economic Development at Alvernia University in Reading. The program, which partners college students with businesses to mutually benefit both, recently began offering internships to high school students to also offer them an opportunity to work on and gain experience in high-impact projects that fuel learning while providing valuable skills to local businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and government and community partners. While in her internship, Hannah pitched a possible business idea, which earned her an O'Pake Excellence award for going above and beyond. She worked with various start-up businesses on business card design, websites and more.

Q: Hannah, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?

A: After high school, I am planning on attending a four-year university with a major in digital marketing. I am mainly focused on Alvernia University due to their opportunities throughout the university and at O’Pake, although, I have not fully committed anywhere yet. After I get my degree, I plan to pursue a career in the digital marketing field.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?

A: As a marketing and media intern at Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute, I get to work on a lot of creative projects for actual businesses in the area. I have done a fully independent website design for a publishing business, a few collaborative website designs, multiple business card creations, branding and mission presentations for companies, product research, and much more. On a typical day, I come into the office and plan out my day. I talk to my mentor to see if there is anything new she has for me to do, and then I get to work on my projects. As a digital marketing focus I am on my computer most of the day using softwares such as Wix, Canva, and Powerpoint. I communicate with other staff members and interns throughout the day and attend business meetings when scheduled.

Q: How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?

A: I found this internship through Mr. Ricketts, the internship coordinator at Exeter. I was struggling to find an internship that had exactly what I was looking for and he suggested O’Pake to me. I reached out to O’Pake, set up an interview, and found myself starting there at the beginning of the fall semester this year.

Q: Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?

A: The O’Pake Institute has been the biggest factor in deciding what I am doing with my future. Before senior year, I had no clue what I wanted to do or where I wanted to do it. When I started getting experiences at O’Pake in the field that I am in, that really settled it for me. I fell in love with the opportunities that Alvernia University gave and continues to give me, and I finally found a career field that fully interests me.

Q: What do you like most about your internship? Is there anything you don't like?

A: I like a lot of things about O’Pake, but something I always love to highlight is the fact that I can work with real businesses and companies at a high school level. They make sure I have all the help and materials I need, but otherwise I get creative freedom. I always get opportunities that are enjoyable and beneficial to me. Nothing ever feels like busy work, and I am building both hard and soft skills while I am communicating and working with clients. I also like to
mention to people that O’Pake has more than just marketing opportunities; they have interns who focus in communications, finance, and even engineering. I think it is really cool that they offer opportunities to people with many different interests. Although, one thing I would mention is that the workload varies from focus to focus, at least from what I have seen. Sometimes I will have five different projects, and others will only have one or two depending on what they are interning for and for how long they are interning for. I wouldn’t say that is a bad thing, but definitely something to note. They will never give you too much work and they will help those feeling overwhelmed with their workloads too. I really have nothing but good things to say about O’Pake.

Q: And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?

A: If you are a high school student thinking about the internship program I would definitely recommend going for it. Make sure you find an internship that you will both enjoy and get a lot out of. Even if it doesn’t end up being something that you want to pursue, it will at least help you figure that out and let you dip your feet into real-world work experiences.

Internship Spotlight: Sean Smith at Taylored Physical Therapy

graphic depicting student standing in physical therapy office for taylored physical therapy

Sean Smith is a junior completing an internship with Taylored Physical Therapy, a physical therapy company specializing in orthopedic and sports injury prevention and rehabilitation. Nate Taylor, owner, says that having interns offers a great opportunity to connect not only with the students but with the community and was happy to give Sean the environment to grow and learn more about physical therapy. “It’s personally very satisfying to see the growth in the students throughout their time here and we are happy to have an environment that can support and push them. The students do a great job getting some of the basic tasks done around the office and grow into excellent representatives of our business and become a valuable part of our team.”

Sean, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?
My plans for after graduation are to continue my education at the University of Penn State or University of South Carolina. I plan on studying Kinesiology, and hope to go to Physical Therapy school.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me at Taylored Physical Therapy is very busy providing each patient with the best experience. I am a technician and assist the therapist, a technician means I help the patients through their exercises and make sure they are doing the right thing.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?
Upon looking at my options, Taylored Physical Therapy sounded and looked great when looking at internship options I could do. With previous sports injuries that I have had, it sparked my interest in becoming a physical therapist and wanting to help athletics with their injuries. I heard nothing but great things about Taylored Physical Therapy and with the help from Mr. Ricketts, I knew it would be a perfect place to work.

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?
I do believe that my internship is helping me feel more confident about wanting to study physical therapy. It gives me the opportunity to truly know if this is something I want to pursue as a career.

What do you like most about your internship? Is there anything you don't like?
The thing I like most about my internship would have to be the staff I work with, and being able to treat all the wonderful patients that come to Taylored Physical Therapy.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?
My advice to any high school student that is thinking about doing an internship through Exeter's program, would be to find a job you are interested in and try it out. It's better to try new things and see if it's a good fit for you now while you have the time to test the waters on what you want to do in life.

Internship Spotlight: Donnie Beiber at Trace Pheasantry

a student stands in front of quail eggs

Donnie Beiber is a senior completing an internship with Trace Pheasantry in Douglassville, a hatchery for pheasants, chukars, quail and partridges. Zach Trace, owner, said that he was initially nervous about taking on high school intern since he is only a few years out of high school himself, but Donnie’s quickly proven to be an asset to his farm. “Donnie has been very eager to learn and reminds me to explain things to him when he doesn’t understand. Donnie always shows up when he’s supposed to and causes no stress. Donnie has helped me on many projects and he has provided his own insight and even taught me things I didn’t know. He’s a hard worker and more than just an extra set of hands. He has been very beneficial to my company.”

Donnie, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation?
My plans after high school are to go to a trade school and get certified for heavy equipment operations.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?
My internship is just a way of being able to get out of the classroom and be able to help out on the farm while learning many different things that pertain to farming and life skills. A typical day on the farm consists of showing up at 11 and doing some busy work for an hour till the 12-1 lunch break, then after that we work at finishing the main objectives for the day, which is "whatever the boss writes on the list that has to be finished for the day." Then after 3, we go and collect eggs, take them back to the hatchery and wash them.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?
I chose the internship because I believe farming is a dying culture and I wanted to do something I enjoy.

What do you like most about your internship?
What I like most about my internship is the fact that I can be out of the school and enjoy the outdoors for several hours instead of being cooped up in a classroom.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?
I think the internship program is one of the best programs Exeter has to offer. It's not a lot of work for a great reward of being able to intern somewhere you like or are interested in. Also, if you do well at being an intern, your employer may even offer you a job.

Internship Spotlight: Madison Grider

a student stands near a coffee maker

Madison Grider is a senior completing an internship at FXV Digital Design, a marketing agency in Wyomissing. Freddy Vasquez, owner, says he's impressed with how helpful Maddie's been to his agency--particularly with creating content for social media: "Maddie is absolutely remarkable! Since she became part of our team, she's swiftly become the go-to person for our TikTok content, enhancing our consistency--a key ingredient in our formula for success!" However, he said that he's even more impressed with Maddie's work ethic, which has given her an opportunity to return to FXV following her internship: "While it's feasible to teach someone various skills, imbuing them with genuine character and a robust work ethic is a different ball game. Maddie has integrated wonderfully with our team, building strong relationships and steadily gaining confidence in her decision-making and social interactions," he said. "We champion individuality and confidence in idea-sharing among our staff--it's what fuels a team's passion and originality. Maddie has genuinely become an integral part of the FXV Digital Design family, and we're hopeful she'll choose to continue her journey with us after her internship."

Maddie, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?

After graduation, I will be attending Penn State University Park in the fall, studying under the College of Information Sciences and Technology. I am super excited to explore my major, which is called Human-Centered Design and Development.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?

My schedule is generally pretty relaxed. My typical work consists of tasks related to social media management and also content creation and planning. So far I’ve worked on blog posts, which require lots of research and copywriting, as well as TikTok videos, which I get to script, film, and then edit for FXV’s social media.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?

I selected this internship because it was extremely intriguing to me and I also just wanted to get some more work experience before stepping into the real world. Mr. Ricketts, the internship coordinator at Exeter Township Senior High School, was a big help with finding an internship that felt like a good fit. I wasn’t really sure where to start initially, but Mr. Ricketts provided me with tons of resources and we ultimately selected FXV. Soon after deciding on the internship, I met with my mentor and it felt like it was going to be a great environment. The entire team at FXV Digital Design has been so great to work with and they have made me feel so comfortable.

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?

I would say so! Even though my major doesn’t revolve around social media management or content creation, this internship has helped me learn many real-world skills that I can use when I get to college. I have become a more confident and outspoken person since starting this internship, and this makes me convinced that I can conquer any challenges that college might throw at me.

What do you like most about your internship? 

The thing that I like most about my internship is that I get to work on a variety of assignments in a given week. I never find myself bored or without something to keep me busy. I love that I get to acquire many different skills through the diverse projects I work on.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?

My advice to a high school student thinking about getting involved in the Exeter internship program is to do it! Even if you don’t know where you want to intern, take advantage of the opportunity. There are endless options for you to explore and you will definitely be able to find an internship that interests you. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new, you never know what might come out of it!

Internship Spotlight: Sydney Burke & Abigail Rathman

Copy of internship spotlight (Instagram Post)

Sydney Burke & Abigail Rathman are seniors completing an internship at Celebration Villa of Exeter. Sydney is focusing on Nursing, while Abigail is focusing on Human Resources. Heather McCool, the Executive Director of Celebration Villa, says that the district's partnership with the assisted living facility has been advantageous to both organizations. "We have been so thankful for our relationship with Exeter... Two of our interns took positions with us and we couldn’t be more proud to have them as team members on board with us! This has also given our team the ability to learn how to mentor and lead others. Our company has a “Pathway to Promotion” program, and having students start with us through their internship is the perfect way for us to see the growth of people through this program. Thank you so much to Mr. Ricketts and ETSD for your partnership!"

Can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?
Sydney: After graduating I plan on attending college to study Nursing. I have my colleges narrowed down to three and hope to make a decision soon.

Abigail: I plan to attend a four-year at Bloomsburg University, with a plan to major in Business.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?
Sydney: A typical day would be to meet with Shirley, the Director of Nursing, and discuss the plan for the day. Usually I begin with taking vitals of residents and documenting the information to give to Shirley. In addition, I work with the residents on crafts, cooking or other activities. Finally, I have the opportunity daily to interview and talk with the residents to get to know them better.

Abigail: A typical day at Celebration Villa consists of me sitting at the front desk answering and transferring phone calls while I work on sorting through resident or potential applicant files. I often call applicants for over-the-phone interviews as our team is always-expanding and growing (especially with the introduction of the upcoming memory care unit)! While I work, I also greet anyone who walks in or leaves our facility in order to help create a warm, welcoming environment.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?
Sydney: Once I knew I wanted to study nursing, I knew an internship in this field would benefit me in college. I spoke with Mr. Ricketts who advised me about the opportunities on internships involving nursing, and the internship at Celebration Villa felt like the best fit.

Abigail: I found my HR internship through Mr. Ricketts’s internship website. I communicated my interest to Celebration Villa and traveled there for an interview. Afterward, they told me that they would love to have me join their team! I was also offered a job as a Dietary Aide, and have worked (in that capacity) since April 2023. My internship officially started in August of 2023, and I have enjoyed it every step of the way. I am so proud to be a part of the Celebration Villa family!

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?
Sydney: Definitely! This opportunity to begin thinking about my future in nursing, and mentoring with the nurses made me realize the decision to go into nursing was the right one for me. Each day, as I get the chance to take on new responsibilities, I get more excited to enter the field of nursing.

Abigail: I think that my internship has affirmed my decision to pursue a business major in college. I have not yet decided if I want to go for Business Management or Marketing, but I have found that I really enjoy working in an office environment. I love conducting meetings and heading projects! I am unsure if I want to continue working in HR when I graduate because the hiring process can be monotonous, but I am definitely staying within the business world.

What do you like most about your internship? What do you like least?
Sydney: The part of the internship I like the most is the residents. I enjoy talking with them, doing activities and learning about their lives. The part I like the least is the limited interaction medically that I have; I look forward to being able to learn more as the internship progresses.

Abigail: My favorite part of my internship is completing employee satisfaction projects. I had the privilege to plan and host our staff's holiday party at the end of last year, which was a huge success! Just recently, my facility celebrated Caregiver Appreciation Week to spotlight all of our incredibly hardworking employees and the amazing work they do every single day. The residents of my facility and I created ‘Caregiver Survival Kit’ cards, and I decorated the break room bulletin board to help share the love! My least favorite part of my internship is reviewing applications on our hiring software. Sometimes I review and call applicants for days straight, which can become slightly tedious.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?
Sydney: My advice is to definitely find a place and take the opportunity. This has been an amazing and eye-opening experience, and helped me solidify my decision to become a nurse.

Abigail: If you are someone who is considering the internship program, I would 100% go for it! I have learned and experienced so much in my time with Celebration Villa, and am always excited to show up to intern each day. Being able to have the opportunity to work in a real business setting has helped me gain more professionalism, improve my communication skills, and has made me more confident that I will be able to survive in the workforce.

November Internship Spotlight: Rachael Haldeman with BCTV

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Rachael Haldeman is a senior completing an internship in video production at BCTV in Reading.

Rachael, can you tell us a bit about what your plans are for after graduation? Have you selected a college and a major?
I hope to get accepted into Temple University so I can attend there after high school. I plan on majoring in Film and Media Arts.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship? What does a typical day look like for you?
When I arrive at the BCTV office, there may or may not be a recording going on or starting. If there is, I join in and help in any way I can, typically manning a camera. If there is not, I’ll end up editing bumpers, which are little 10-15-second clips for in-between programs, or I’ll edit a program instead.

How did you select your internship? Did someone help you select it? Did you seek out the opportunity on your own? Were you asked to do the internship?
I really wanted an internship to help me decide what I wanted to do in college. I knew we had an internship program here at Exeter, so I reached out to Mr. Ricketts in hopes of something to do with film and video production.

Do you think your internship is helping you feel more confident about your decision to go to college and pursue your major?
Absolutely. I was unsure about if I really wanted to go into film, but I knew I had a slight interest in it at the very least. Working at BCTV and seeing the filming and post-production processes has really helped and inspired me.

What do you like most about your internship?
I thoroughly enjoy it when I’m operating a camera. When I was still learning the basics of the field cameras they have, it really interested me. Now that I know how to use them, it’s a joy to be operating them.

And finally, what would be your advice to a high school student who's thinking about Exeter's internship program?
My advice would be to just do it. If you’re unsure or debating it, do it. Take advantage of it. It’s a chance to learn about what you may or may not enjoy in the future, and what kind of work environments you can handle. There are plenty of different businesses that are willing to work with students at Exeter. I highly recommend the program.