Courtesy | Caitie Dugan
As soon as the warm May sunshine finally emerges and the beginning hints of summer start to show, students pack up and head out for a summer of travel, slow days at home, and part time jobs. For a few select students, though, life at Hillsdale doesn’t end after finals.
With several on-campus internships provided by the College, you can enjoy the charm of Hillsdale in the summer while growing professionally and adventuring with your fellow interns.
Internships are offered through several departments on campus: Admissions, Marketing, and the Contact Center just to name a few.
Marketing Department
Are you interested in working in media and learning how to market content to a specific audience? If so, you should check out the marketing department’s summer internship.
Senior Emma Shea interned in marketing last summer after her study-abroad plans fell through.
Shea said working in marketing turned out to be an excellent fit since she is interested in media and she left her internship with months of hands-on, real-world experience.
“We made content for the college’s main social media platforms, managed feedback, answered questions, and redirected inquiries of other departments,” Shea said. “I was in charge of the college’s main Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook from May through August, and it’s cool to look back on all the content and patterns I planned during the summer.”
While some may think that a slow Hillsdale summer could potentially be monotonous, Shea said that she found her off-time full of fun and adventure.
“My friends and I had a lot of time for road trips, and swam a lot at Baw Beese. It was so fun to paddle around Baw Beese and chill on the beach on a beautiful summer day, without the bustle of students,” she said. “It was an adventure – you could do nothing or you could do everything.”
Admissions
Want to share your love of Hillsdale with prospective students from around the country? Think about working with the Admissions department over the summer.
Sophomore Caitie Dugan currently works for admissions as a student ambassador and as a member of the social media team. She was one of six admissions interns last summer.
Dugan said that one of her favorite aspects of the internship was how team-oriented it was.
“I learned a lot about working on a team in a professional setting,” Dugan said, “I didn’t know any of the other interns before the summer started, so we had to learn how to work together really quickly with no prior relationship, which is how many jobs post-grad are.”
Besides giving tours to prospective students and managing the admissions Instagram page, the admissions interns created new training for student ambassadors.
Dugan said that living in Hillsdale during the summer has a special charm to it.
“Hillsdale in the summer is really peaceful; there is something really cool about being on campus when no one else is here,” she said. “I gained a new appreciation for Hillsdale and for the people that make it so special because I wasn’t so stressed about school.”
Senior Morgan Billingsley was one of Dugan’s fellow admissions interns. Like Dugan, Billingsley said that one of her favorite aspects of staying on-campus over the summer was getting to know her fellow interns and employers without the normal academic stress.
“The best part about staying in Hillsdale for an internship was definitely the chance to deepen relationships with people that I don’t normally interact with during the academic year,” she said. “I had the chance to really get to know people in the admissions office that I don’t see on a daily or even weekly basis, and I am so grateful for the chance to have those few months to build those relationships.”
Billingsley said interning on-campus leaves plenty of time to explore Hillsdale, take day trips to surrounding cities, or to just relax.
“The summer was filled with life-giving moments with the friends I made on the intern team,” she said, “from weekly Udder Side runs and game nights to going on day trips to art museums, there was never a dull moment.”
One of the most important things to think about when considering an on-campus internship, Billingsley said, is finding a department that you are passionate about and would enjoy working with for several months.
“Find a job that excites you and people you would want to work with and be willing to make the most of it,” she said. “If you’re thinking about staying in town for the summer, do it! You may be surprised by what you’ll find.”
The Contact Center
Do you envision yourself in an environment that centers around communication, customer service, or problem solving?
Sophomore Caleb Holm interned for the Contact Center last summer and said he jumped at the chance to stay at Hillsdale through the summer.
“I wasn’t ready to leave,” Holm said, “Hillsdale has had such a massive impact on my life, and I love this place so much.”
Holm said that the day-to-day at the Contact Center was fairly straightforward: answering incoming calls and assisting friends of the college with donations, online courses, and Imprimis subscriptions.
The Contact Center interns were divided into teams that worked on various projects.
“I was on the marketing project team in the Contact Center with Lauren Hearne and Carson McNellie,” Holm said. “Together we created a survey that efficiently gathered information on client satisfaction and experience.”
When he wasn’t working at the Contact Center, Holm was working as a special events intern at the Hillsdale Community Library.
According to Holm, one of the best things about interning at Hillsdale in the summer was the people he spent time with.
“You make a lot of new friends and get to experience Hillsdale when it’s most beautiful: the summer,” he said. “Additionally, you get to enjoy Hillsdale without the stress of classes and homework! What could be better?”
Junior Meera Baldwin interned with Holm at the Contact Center last summer.
Baldwin noted that the flexibility and independence of an on-campus internship allowed for picking up a second job or just enjoying the treasures of Hillsdale.
“Every day felt like a weekend, honestly. We would go to Baw Beese throughout the week and especially on the weekends,” Baldwin said. “Otherwise, we would watch movies, go on long walks, go thrifting, go to a neighboring city, play Mancala, read, relax, and we would never miss the farmers market.”
One of Baldwin’s favorite memories from the summer was when all the Hillsdale students in town had to seek shelter in a basement during a bad storm.
“We all bonded that night,” Baldwin said, “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Both Baldwin and Holm suggested coordinating on-campus internships with friends for the most memorable experience.
“Talk to your friends about it too and make it a community endeavor,” Holm said. “You’ll pick up some good skills and spend just a little bit longer at this place that we all leave too soon.”
Baldwin and Holm both fondly look back at their summer at Hillsdale and encourage students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
“Give this town a try,” Baldwin said. “It’s really quite charming, especially in the summer.”