1. How did you secure your internship?
   
   I applied to a number of internships that I found online (through Indeed.com, Net Impact’s job board and other resources). When applying I made sure to check through all my networks (specifically on LinkedIn) to see if I knew anyone at these companies. Many times reaching out to friends and alumni is what secured interviews for me. With Western Union I didn’t have any contacts, but had previously worked with one of their Foundation’s main NGO partners.
   
2. How did Smith assist you with the?
   
   In looking for my internship I spent a great deal of time with 2nd year students and Office of Career Services (OCS), practicing my interviewing skills and identifying my personal value proposition. While working on behavioral interviewing I honed in on specific passions and strengths, and learning how to communicate these points gave me a new level of confidence as I approached the search.
   
3. What is your career goal after graduation and how do you plan on leveraging this internship opportunity to achieve that goal?
   
   From my internship experience I saw the importance and impact of well-designed products and services in the lives of customers. This summer solidified with me that I want to be in a for-profit company whose services or products improve lives, and that I want to have a direct impact on the growth of that company and their understanding of clients. Working at Western Union, a Fortune 500 company with true global reach, gave me new insights into what it means to be a public company working in emerging markets with very different needs. I will bring this experience back into the classroom this year and look to continue to work at an international company when I graduate.
   
4. How did Smith prepare you for this opportunity? Highlight your most challenging moment of your internship:
   
   I spent a great deal of time in my internship identifying trends, either in large sets of data, team performance or social media strategy. Coursework at Smith helped me develop frameworks to identify these trends, synthesize them and present recommendations that can improve processes. Smith gave me both the analytical and problem solving skills to create implementable recommendations for my team.

Hometown: Winchester, MA

Undergraduate University & Major: Earlham College, BA International Studies

MBA Concentration: Strategy

Industry & Function before MBA: International Development

Are you a career switcher? I worked in non-profit and international development before Smith and looking to go into social impact consulting or marketing for a mission-driven firm.

Career Goals: Leverage my experience in emerging markets with my business skills to support private sector ventures that have a positive social impact.

MBA Student Clubs: Smith Net Impact Chapter, President

Extracurricular activities: Winner, Hilton HHonors Worldwide MBA Case Competition, Spring 2012
Associate, New Markets Venture Fund