Oct. 9, 2018
By Tara Garcia, communication assistant
When Northwest student Bri Fuller completed her summer internship, she has gained new skills, engaged with supervisor and learned how to overcome a variety of challenges. She also won Northwest Missouri State University’s summer photo internship contest.
“I wanted to learn everything I could about the lighting consoles,” Fuller said. “There were many times where I sat down with supervisors one-on-one and we went over things that I was confused about. I learned how to deal with stressful situations because there were a few times where the whole network went down. It was amazing to see my supervisors handled that situation with a full audience in attendance.”
Northwest students are annually encouraged to submit a photo from their internship experience to share their work and successes throughout the summer. Northwest Career Services coordinates the contest during each term, and it is open to all students participating in internships, practicums, field experiences and directed teaching experiences.
The fall contest is now underway. Click here for details.
“Internships allow students to test drive a career path for a short period of time,” Travis Kline, a Northwest career development coordinator, said. “Internships are a great way to build résumés so students have a shot at a great job post-graduation. They also allow a chance to develop professional networking, which is a major part of the career search.”
Fuller, a senior design and technology theater major from Weston, Missouri, interned for the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico as an apprentice electrician.
“I worked on five different operas in rotating repertory while doing changeovers and refocusing the lights every single day,” Fuller said. “Part of my job was to be in charge of a certain set of lights and changing the colors of the lights every day.”
At Northwest, Fuller is in charge of the electric shop at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. Her long-term career goal is to work in a New York or Chicago theater as a master electrician or programmer.
“I thought I wanted to be a lighting designer, but this summer showed me I like working behind the scenes better,” Fuller said.
After graduation, Fuller hopes to work on a cruise ship as a lighting technician and travel around the world.
 Jasmine West: Kansas City Fire Department
Jasmine West, a senior emergency and disaster management major and organizational communication minor from Kansas City, Missouri, interned with the Kansas City Fire Department this summer.
“My dream job is to be a firefighter, but I’m not going to limit myself,” West said. “The sky is not the limit when I am reaching for the stars. Air Force, paramedic or flight medic are all amazing positions I know I can and will achieve.”
West learned the ins and outs of what it is like to work for a fire department. She worked a night water search and rescue mission on the Missouri River to train for different rescue divisions.
“In order to be a part of any rescue team, you must be able to pass a certain task, whether that’s high-angle rope rescue, flood water, flash fire or water search and rescue,” West said. “I got to work with the chief of the KCFD rescue division, Larry Young, and all the other captains of the divisions.”
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 Jennifer James: Sports Radio 810
Jennifer James, a junior sports media major from Kearney, Missouri, earned an internship as a sports broadcaster for Sports Radio 810 in Kansas City, Missouri.
She got hands-on experience and furthered her knowledge about sports broadcasting.
“I helped come up with topics for the show, conducted interviews, edited audio and wrote scripts and advertisements,” James said. “I was even put on air, which was a great experience.”
James’s internship helped mold her to become a better sports broadcaster. Professional broadcasters listened to her work and offered tips. She networked and built relationships while working in a fast-paced environment.
The knowledge from the internship helped her become career-ready and understand how the sports radio industry works. Her career goal is to become a sports anchor or sideline reporter for ESPN, Fox Sports or CBS.
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 Abigail Kirk: Prairie Crop Pro-Tech
Abigail Kirk, a senior agriculture education major from Harrisonville, Missouri, worked as a crop scout for Prairie Crop Pro-Tech in Conrad, Iowa.
Her internship included locating fields on an iPad program. She walked each field, looking for diseases or pets, and determined the growth stages of the crops.
“I communicated with many growers and farmers on what was going on in their fields, since I was more of the eyes of the operations,” Kirk said. “I recorded everything into the iPad, even if there was nothing wrong at all, and then created a final field report to send to my supervisor and farmers.”
Kirk conducted yield estimates toward the end of her internship with Prairie Crop Pro-Tech, to help farmers estimate what their potential yields could be for the coming harvest season.
“This summer was a learning process,” Kirk said. “I learned the growth stages of corn and soybeans, how to treat for pests and soil erosion prevention techniques. I identified various weeds and plant diseases and how to treat them.”
Kirk believes her internship helped her become career-ready. She started her internship with little experience and now knows about crop production.
“With the knowledge I’ve gained, I can directly tie this to my classroom as an agricultural education major and future teacher and give my students the knowledge and skills that I have as well.”
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 Mariah Erickson: The Coterie Theatre
Mariah Erickson, a senior public relations major from Oak Grove, Missouri, was a marketing and advertising intern for the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City.
She worked in the main office and helped advertise their upcoming shows, created an online calendar and wrote news releases. She also viewed shows and shadowed staff on their daily duties.
“I have experience in social media and advertising,” Erickson said. “I created a lot of their social media content and learned how to navigate a website design, which I had never done before.”
Erickson’s internship created opportunities and made her career-ready.
“I still have a lot to learn this year, but I am excited to be on my own soon,” Erickson said. “This internship gained my confidence because I was able to sit in conference rooms and feel valued for my suggestions and opinions.”
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