M.A./M.B.A. Student Emily Kolek Interns at Westinghouse Electric Company Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Meet Emily Kolek
Internship: Internal Communications intern, Westinghouse Electric Company
Currently pursuing: M.A./M.B.A.
Expected graduation: May 2016
Degree earned: B.A. in Corporate Communication, Carlow University
Hometown: Brackenridge, Pa.
Did Point Park's Downtown Pittsburgh location influence your decision to attend the university?
Absolutely. I knew that there were so many opportunities in Downtown Pittsburgh. I also knew that Point Park is a growing institution and wanted to be a part of all of the changes in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Why is the M.A./M.B.A. program a good fit for you?
I'm passionate about the communications field, but I know that the skills learned in the M.B.A. program are invaluable and useful no matter what career path I take. I find the courses to be a healthy mix, enabling me to successfully market myself.
How have you applied the skills and training you've received at Point Park to this internship?
This internship has incorporated various skills that I have been learning in the classroom. The International Media course, for example, prepared me to deliver communications to a global organization like Westinghouse. Most importantly, the internship has confirmed that I want to pursue this career path. After applying my classroom experiences to a real-world setting, I feel much more confident about my decision to pursue my graduate degree.
What is your favorite thing about this internship?
The best thing about my internship is that I'm given real, meaningful work assignments. I'm held to the same expectations and standards that full-time employees are held to. It's all too common that internships lack real, meaningful experiences, and that's not the case at Westinghouse. In my short time here, I have worked on a variety of communications projects, including planning a leadership meeting, assisting with development of presentations, writing articles and emails for distribution to broad employee audiences and assisting in a video production project.
How did you land your internship?
Through networking. Professor Heather Starr Fielder, Ph.D., informed me of an internship opportunity at Westinghouse. A graduate alumna reached out to several communication professors asking if they knew of any students interested in an internship at Westinghouse. I think it's a good example of networking and building relationships with your professors, letting them know what you are interested in pursuing.
Anything else you would like to add?
It is encouraging to be working in an environment in which I have been able to use my education. My colleagues and managers here have encouraged me to take on challenging work and to pursue my professional interests.
More About: internships, M.A./M.B.A., Downtown Pittsburgh