Gerard Toscani '15 @ AT&T

I had such an incredible experience at my externship in Bedminster this week. Before I dive into the details of the week, I’d like to extend a special thanks to Jack Duffy and the Career Development Center for making all of this possible. Jack’s willingness to host a handful of Gettysburg undergrads during one of the busiest points of his year reflects the strength and commitment of our Gettysburg Network.

We kicked off the week with a general tour of the facility and it was really neat to see the varying forms of infrastructure across the company’s departments. For example, in Jack’s area of the building there were more cubicles and offices, but in the Inventive Science and Collaboration Department the office setting had a much more organic feel to it. As an OMS major, I learned about company infrastructure and its reflection of corporate culture in Organizational Theory, so it was really cool to tie that into our experience.

Following the tour, Jack introduced us to Scott Martin who served as the Senior Client Services Project Manager for the Democratic National Convention. This session really gave me a deeper appreciation for the resources and effort that it takes to support such a widely broadcasted event. With thousands of people sending videos or text messages, surfing the web or making phone calls simultaneously there is very little margin for error on AT&T’s behalf.

We followed Scott’s session with a telepresence meeting that was hosted by Jim Jacen and Jessica Taylor out of Atlanta, Georgia. Jim and Jessica are in charge of AT&T’s college recruitment so it was really helpful to seek their advice on the application process. They also fielded questions about the Business Sales Leadership Development Program and provided a general background of the other non-sales oriented career paths through AT&T. Aside from the content of our meeting, I was most impressed by the sophistication of the telepresence technology.

After sitting in on the telepresence session our day was further enriched with a tour of the Global Network Operations Center. The GNOC was truly something out of a movie. Between the actual tour and the enormous display of real time network data, I walked out of there in awe. In the following days we were met by a variety of AT&T executives like Mike Downey, Brendan Floyd and Cathy Martine-Dolecki to name a few. We also touched based with several recent Gettysburg graduates who were more than happy to offer their support in the coming year.

I am truly thankful for this experience and the time and effort that it took for our host to put it all together. This externship is just one of the many opportunities that our Career Development Center offers for Gettysburg College Undergraduates. I’m looking forward to the upcoming school year and urge everyone to take advantage of the many opportunities and resources that our CDC has to offer!

Kaitlyn McCrudden @ Unum

Located in the appropriately named city of Portland, Maine, Unum not only provides over 160 years of employee benefits leadership services to its clients, but also creates an extremely supportive work environment for its employees. I had the pleasure of experiencing Unum’s distinct corporate culture firsthand this August through my externship with Carol Ryan Ertz, AVP Leadership Development in Corporate Human Resources. Carol created a packed schedule for me, which provided an opportunity for me to meet with anyone in Human Resources from the Vice President of HR Global Operations to summer interns and everywhere in between. With every employee I met, Unum’s values of integrity, commitment, and accountability were reaffirmed. I realized that when I am looking for companies to work for, it is crucial to research the organization’s values and how they are applied in the workplace.

Going into the week, I hardly knew anything about Human Resources. I knew it was a department committed to fostering personal relationships and a department that attracts extraverted personalities, but not much beyond that. Nearly every employee in HR that I met with held a role that interested me in some way. The beauty of the department, and Unum in general, is that the culture allows for easy movement amongst positions. Another comforting realization I had was that if you are passionate about a position, your previous background becomes less important. A company will be willing to give you a chance if you prove yourself as enthusiastic, self-driven, and motivated. From that point on, they will partner with you to find a good fit for you within the organization.

Day by day, I felt myself improving greatly on skills vital to a corporate environment. On my first day, a meeting I had with one Vice President in HR was blocked off for 45 minutes but I ran out of questions after 15minutes. Although I tried not to let it show, I was extremely embarrassed. I felt like I wasn’t cut out for Human Resources because at the time, it seemed like I clearly did not have the communications skills necessary to succeed in the department. However, by the end of the week, I could hold a professional, intelligent conversation with a VP and think of questions on the spot. I gained much more in 4 days than I ever could have imagined: knowledge of human resources, an understanding of Unum’s corporate culture, and an improvement of my communication skills. Carol could not have been a more wonderful host and I will cherish my experience with her. My externship has allowed me to envision myself in a corporate environment and left me excited for my postgrad future.

Michelle Fox '16 @ Quicken Loans

My family was all born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area. When I was selected to the Quicken Loans externship, I was so excited when I realized that their headquarters were located in Downtown Detroit Michigan. I visit Michigan every year because my grandma still lives just outside of the city. When telling my friends that I was selected to an externship in Detroit, their reactions were either very surprised or concerned for my safety. Detroit notoriously has had a bad reputation but from visiting frequently I was excited that I able to return to Detroit because it was like I was able to return home.

I met my host, Laneisha Gunn and the Gettysburg Alum, Lauren Giorgio, who introduced me to the Human Resources recruiting team who I would be working with for the week. First, I had the chance to get acquainted with the company by learning about their industry. According to Inside Mortgage Finance, Quarter 1, 2014, Quicken Loans is the #1 online lender and the 2nd largest retail mortgage lender in the U.S. Quicken Loans is ranked in the top 30 companies on FORTUNE Magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last 12 years.

These are just a few of their accomplishments. These show how accomplished Quicken is and also how much they value their team members. During my visit I heard many team members say “We work hard and play hard” referring to the free slurpees, coffee, and snacks that each company kitchen has, as well as the freedom of doing whatever makes them happy. People ride scooters in the office, take a break to play video games in the lounge, or play basketball on the court located in the middle of one of the floors. At first, I was shocked by how laid back the work environment was; I didn’t understand how anyone was able to be productive. Then I slowly witnessed that people were so comfortable and relaxed that this allows them to perform to the best of their ability creating very productive team members.

During the week I also had the ability to be involved in a tour of the company buildings for high school students in the Detroit area. Dan Gilbert, the CEO of the company, has made revitalizing Detroit one of his current main focuses. The company wishes to re-establish Detroit and change their notoriously bad reputation. The tour for the high school students was important to inspire them about potential careers and inform them about how to make steps in the right direction. This is just one example of the many initiatives the company is taking to redefine Detroit.

I also was able to gain experience that can be used for my career by following multiple people on the Human Resources teams. I was able to listen in to an Interview Screening Specialist’s phone conversations. Her job was to call potential candidates and have a quick conversation with potential team members to initially evaluate them before continuing on with the recruiting process. I also sat with a Mortgage Banker Interview Screening Specialist and learned what to look for in a candidate for that position, an extremely vital one to the company. I was able to learn how to look for people to fill very specific jobs that can be hard to fill from a Talent Sourcing Strategist. I sat with a relocation specialist who helps make plans for the relocation of newly hired team members; she also works to help approve the finances behind it. I was able to help my department with registration of a company wide event, which was an educational bus tour of Detroit to learn the history of the city they are working in. All of these experiences allowed me to grown personally and professionally. I gained a lot of knowledge about the career path that I hope I am able to pursue. This week with Quicken Loans was an amazing opportunity in an up and coming location. I owe a special thank you to Laneisha Gunn, Lauren Giorgio, and Quicken Loans.

Extern Erin Sweeney '18 @ London Women's Care

Spending a week at London Women’s Care in London KY, with Dr. Melissa Zook was a fascinating and eye opening experience. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend a week immersed in a culture so different from my own. London Kentucky is an unique town nestled at the base of the Appalachian Mountains. There are not many large and established doctor’s offices in this part of Eastern Kentucky, and so patients of the practice hail from all over the region. London Women’s Care is primarily an OBGYN, so Dr. Zook, as a family practitioner, is unique. She sees everyone from new born babies to the elderly, and throughout her many years of experience, has built strong relationships with her patients. She strongly values patient care, and despite the large number of patients she sees each day, she takes time to talk to each one individually about their lives. She believes in the importance of treating the whole person and not just the symptom, and works hard to better the quality of life for her patients.

I learned so much about the healthcare system, the people, and the culture of Eastern Kentucky through my externship with Dr. Zook. It was interesting to learn about the most common illnesses that the people of Eastern Kentucky face, and throughout the week I noticed several themes in the office. For instance many of the patients complained of chronic back pain and anxiety, and many suffered from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Additionally, London Women’s Care recently began a Subutex program to help opium addicts into recovery. Prior to my externship, I was unaware of just how huge a problem substance abuse is in Eastern Kentucky, and it was eyeopening to witness first hand the toll that these drugs take on the lives of their users. Previously, I had no knowledge of Subutex and Suboxone, but I learned a lot about them throughout the week. Suboxone acts as a replacement drug to opiates by blocking the opium receptors in the brain. Unlike opiates however, this drug produces no sense of euphoria, allowing patients to live normal lives. It prevents withdrawal symptoms, and allows patients the opportunity for recovery. London Women’s Care’s Subutex program supplies patients with Subutex while helping take steps to regain control of their lives. Many of the participants are expectant mothers, although both men and women can take part in the program.

 I feel so lucky to have been able to take part in this externship so early in my college career. This externship has taught me a lot about the healthcare system and what it means to be a good doctor. This experience has been a great introduction into the world of medicine, and has made me excited to explore the may avenues of the healthcare system as I move forward with my Gettysburg education.

Extern Morgan Marianelli @ NBC Universal

            It seems like ages ago now that I first made the decision to commit to a summer externship in the spring of my Junior year. I vaguely remembered hearing about the externship programs in past years and seeing advertisements for them around campus, but never really felt compelled until now to take the initiative and apply to one of them. I had already completed an internship at a live entertainment venue called Komedia while studying abroad in Bath, England, which, lasting a full semester, I assumed would be far more extensive than anything I could take away from an externship lasting a mere week. A lot of people probably do it the other way around and start with an externship before transitioning into an internship. I questioned whether an externship was really worth my time and almost let my doubts dissuade me from applying. Less than a day into my externship, however, I realized how wrong my thinking was and felt immensely thankful that the opportunity to observe at NBC for a week was open to Gettysburg College students, and that I was accepted into the program.

            My greatest cause of anxiety before the start of the externship was probably figuring out how to navigate New York City on my own, and also presenting myself in the most professional way possible each day to high-end executives. It was more than a little intimidating walking into the enormous skyscraper in the middle of Rockefeller Center, getting a pass from security, and making my way up to the 29^th floor to meet my externship host, Gettysburg alum Nick Johnson ’90. NBC is a company I have heard about for as long as I can remember, and I have grown up watching the NBC television network for news and entertainment, and viewing their content online. However, I initially felt like an outsider with no inside knowledge trying to insert myself into a major corporation, which was basically true; however, it didn’t take long to quell my nerves and start to feel comfortable with the externship as soon as I saw how friendly and accommodating everyone was. I was afraid I would feel like a burden by disrupting the employees’ normal work routines, but everyone whom I met with seem honored that I took such an interest in their work, and were eager to bestow their knowledge on me.

            I really enjoyed the rotational structure of the externship, since it allowed me to observe a different department within the NBC Sports Group each day, in order to get a feel for what each department did, how they collaborated, and which was most in line with my skills and interests. By the end of the week, I was able to conclude that a career in media marketing, either digital or linear (television), is probably the most promising scenario for me, from the four departments I observed. It seemed to involve the most creative thinking and writing/communication skills, which I have acquired from my English and Film double majors, and Jeff Carroll, the marketing director I met with on the first day, was an English major as well at Lafayette College. He gave me some great tips on how I can start to market myself as a writer to employers in the media and entertainment industry.  He has many writing and entertainment contacts that he can connect me with as well, such as writers for Saturday Night Live. 

            There were many fun perks thrown into the five day externship experience, such as a lavish dinner with Nick and some other NBC employees at a restaurant called The Palm, the chance to meet individually with some employees who had experience working in the entertainment sector of NBC, and just getting to explore the city on my own. However, the best part of the externship, overall, is by far all the new knowledge and experience I will take away from it, as well as multiple contacts I can continue to communicate with for career advice and references. My externship experience at NBC Universal was well worth my time, and I am so grateful for everything I have gained from having participated in it!

Extern Miranda Ray @ London Women’s Care: Family Practice

                The externship in London, Kentucky with Dr. Zook has been extremely rewarding. Dr. Zook works at London Women’s Care: Family Practice. This is a well-established rural health care center. Rural health care centers are established with the intention of aiding persons with Medicare and Medicaid. These rural health clinics have extended hours and are very accepting and flexible with patient’s schedules and overall needs. London Women’s Care’s clientele is comprised a whopping 60% Medicare/ Medicaid insured persons. In short, these people that we have been interacting with are sometimes sweet Kentuckians with a warm accent and sometimes snappy and unappreciative, sometimes pensive and considerate of Dr. Zook’s advice while others are glazed over when they were given medical tips, sometimes they smelled like cinnamon or axe and sometimes, well, they smelled like cat pee.                        

               

As exemplified by the list above, during my time at London Women’s Care I was exposed to a variety of patients. I witnessed many techniques used to deal with difficult or abrasive situations. My, if you will, dream is to somehow work with and improve the lives of underprivileged folks. This Externship has thoroughly introduced me to a population I have been working towards caring for; I have been given an excellent jumping board for understanding the skills I need to develop to work with this population. I will speak of one example of a patient where I have learned a great deal about interviewing, understanding a patient’s physical needs, and helping with the patient’s emotional needs.

                The lady I will speak of was a relatively new patient, only on her second visit to London Women’s Care. Upon entering the room, we could see that she was noticeably shiny due to sweat, but let me assure you, the facility is quite cold. She was fiddling incessantly with a magazine to avoid eye contact after initial introductions. Dr. Zook chatted with the anxious woman for a bit and she calmed slightly. Dr. Zook then began to interview her asking simple questions that were friendly and inviting. At one point the lady commented on how sweaty she was due to her anxiety when she leaves the house. She mentioned repeatedly how difficult it was to leave her house to go to Walmart or go to a doctor’s appointment.  Dr. Zook mentioned social anxiety, and I, being inexperienced, just assumed that this was a diagnosis and Dr.Zook would not have ask many more questions, giving us a nice, short visit with a concrete conclusion. Then, Dr. Zook asked her a question that I found odd: “What are you afraid of when you step out of your house?” To my surprise, the woman became unsettled and looked away from us, turning pages of a magazine just to turn them. She was beginning to cry! After she settled a bit, she proceeded to tell us her amazing story. A story where we glimpsed the life of a seventeen year old marrying a boy, who quickly became an abusive and controlling man. He taped the doors when he left, so that he knew if she opened them, he tortured any pet she owned and dared her to save them, he installed cameras to monitor her daily movements, and he beat her severely if she returned after an amount of time he deemed too long. Oh, and he also placed a gun to her head every time she stepped outside to smoke (she had the babies to worry about), threatening to “blow her brains out. This and more was apart of 31 years of a psychologically shattering marriage. She finally ran away, but was left with serious emotional damage, including PTSD.  Her new diagnosis changed a lot of things in this woman’s life. She would be switched to new medication that would help alleviate her PTSD symptoms, she would be given the correct sleeping medication, she would start therapy to help heal the broken places in her heart and she would hopefully be able to leave the house and go hold her one month old grandbaby. These major changes in her life are occurring because of a few questions from a doctor who felt the need to find the root cause of a patient’s problem.

                Even in a visit with a single patient, I saw what I must work on to become an efficient and caring health professional. I have to get to the root cause of a patient’s problem with a gentle and eloquent style that reflects the degree to which I care.

Extern Emily Wasson @ London Women's Care

Life in London - My public health Externship experience in rural Kentucky

My name is Emily, and I will be a junior biology major at Gettysburg College this year. I am now faced with decisions about my future career, and it is more distressing than I ever imagined. The classes I have taken at Gettysburg have assured me that I have a passion for public health initiatives. Thanks to the Career Development Center at Gettysburg College I was set up with an externship in August 2014 that would help me determine if public health is the right field of work for me.

I ended up in a small town in eastern Kentucky.  For one week, I had the pleasure of shadowing Dr. Melissa Zook, a family physician at London Women’s Care in London, KY. She generously provided housing in her own home during my stay, and I had the opportunity to experience the hectic life a doctor lives. Unexpectedly, I was astounded by the severity of the problems that the people of this part of the United States face every day.

As a family care physician, Dr. Zook serves as a personal therapist and gives advice to her patients to get them through the day. Some of them even broke down in tears during their appointment. There were so many people that appeared to be well and thriving, but were desperately seeking help. And up until recently, they could not afford it.

Now that affordable health insurance is available to the impoverished community of London, there has been a steady rise in the number of people that desire medical attention. Sadly, there is a severe lack of medical resources in this place. I saw for the first time how desperately some people need and want to get their lives on track, but simply do not have the resources or education to do so.
As a result of limited psychiatric and counseling services, many of the people that walked through the doors of the office were emotionally unstable. Mental health problems in terms of depression, anxiety and drug addiction have overwhelmed the health services system.

Additionally, there were kids that had half the teeth they should. Poor dental hygiene is a major issue in this community and has been attributed to the abundance of sugary drinks and sodas available in the home, and or the fact that people do not have access to or insurance to pay for dental visits.
During the five days I spent at London Women’s Care, I met six pregnant teens, many of whom already had children.  Teenage pregnancy is so common in this area, and unfortunately, the foster care system has a difficult time placing children into loving homes.

Poor parenting in some of these situations can cause many behavior problems in children and lead to an abundance of complicated health issues in their adult lives. Dr. Zook explained that she regularly contacts social services to help the neglected and abused patients she has. 

You can see these side effects of these public health problems in the school systems, and they are hindering students’ ability to earn a good education. One boy from the town of London described that nearly one third of the students in his graduating class dropped out of school before receiving a diploma. Many left due to drug related issues, teen pregnancy and or criminal behavior. He explained that this is the norm.

I think the hardest part about listening to these stories is how challenging it is to make change as a doctor. This is especially true for the people of this community that have lived this way their whole life and see no need for improvement.

Poverty exists, and this cycle will never heal completely unless we convince others that there is a need for change.  My experience in London, Kentucky has shown me that I want to study public health after Gettysburg College to address the problems that our society has created and bring new solutions to the table. I feel confident that this is the career path that I am most passionate about pursing, and I will be eternally grateful for my experience with Dr. Zook for helping me come to a decision about my future profession. 

Extern Elizabeth Broske '17 @ Hanover Hospital Medical Fitness Center

During the week of July 7-11, I was with Jody Moyer and the other staff members at the Hanover Hospital Medical Fitness Center (MFC) in Hanover, PA. The Medical Fitness Center is a place that is designed to promote health and fitness to individuals with medical conditions and to some who are seeking general conditioning.  The staff makes individualized programs for every person. In the MFC you see different diagnosis such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and more. The average age of the patient is around 69. Jody Moyer is an Exercise Physiologist and an Athletic Trainer.

I experienced many new things this week. One of the things that I spent a lot of time with were the aquatic exercise programs and classes. There are many different kinds of programs. There are cardio, strengthening, yoga, relaxation, and arthritis classes. These classes utilized different items such as pool noodles, kick boards, underwater dumbbells, and more. Usually once, if not twice, I would join in on some of these classes. It was very interesting to see the different types of classes that they offer at the MFC and the beneficial effects they have on the patients.

I sat in on two new patient assessments with a staff member. I learned what kinds of things are done to determine how to move forward with this patient. The staff member tested strength, stability, posture, flexibility and more. With this assessment, the professionals are able to make a plan for the patient and give them exercises to do whenever they are able to come.

At the MFC, the trainers run an employee wellness program. This program gives options to different employees of Hanover Hospital to better their health. If they participate, their insurance premium is lowered. There is the water challenge (where you have to drink 8, 8oz bottles of water a day for a month), the START program (30 minutes of exercise every day for 3 months), and many other options similar to those.

Also there is a new program at the MFC for improving speed and agility. Two younger girls (16 and 14) are a part of the program. I think it is a really great idea for this program. I personally did one of these programs before soccer season and it prepared me so well for the season. Not only did it get me in shape and increase my strength, it prevented injuries that could have been caused during the season.

I also sat in on a physical therapy evaluation. This was different from the other MFC’s assessments because they were focused on one area of the patient. I was talking to the physical therapists about my possible career goals and they gave me great input and advice. I really enjoyed this look into the physical therapy occupation because this is what I believe I would want to do in the future.

A major thing I learned about during this externship is pulmonary rehabilitation. I saw for the first time someone with a tracheostomy. I learned all about how, why, and when a patient needs one. I also learned what type of things a patient could do in a pulmonary rehabilitation center to help them. This patient with a tracheostomy is not on the transplant list yet. I learned that John's Hopkins Hospital wants the patient to be able to walk 30 minutes straight before they are eligible for a transplant. When I was talking to this patient, who couldn't speak but mouthed words, she said that when she first started coming to therapy she was walking only 2 minutes straight. She is now walking 15 minutes straight. This shows first hand how much pulmonary rehabilitation helps.

After I learned some more details about the patients, the pulmonary therapist gave a lesson to some of the patients with COPD. She said that many doctors don't provide all of the details you need to really understand the illness. This class was very enlightening and I learned so much, as I'm sure many of the patients did. The therapist was very detailed and made it easy to learn about lung diseases making it very interesting.

Overall, this externship was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I was able to participate. This location was perfect for my career aspirations because I was able to look into many different health profession options. This week has helped me narrow down the possibilities of what I want to do in my future while also giving me new ideas.

Externs Rebecca Utzinger '15 & Julie Schuldt ‘17 @ AT&T

Learn about Rebecca Utzinger's week on her own blog and read about Julie's experience below!

The Ins & Outs of AT&T, Extern edition - Julie Schuldt

My externship experience at AT&T was phenomenal. Alum Jack Duffy, Vice President of Customer Service, prepared a fantastic week for us filled with AT&T education, meetings with executives, and exposure to corporate life.
   
On our tour of the GNOC, Global Network Operations Center (AKA the Disneyland for data managers), we got a sneak peak into the “ins” of AT&T data control through 140+ television monitors. I learned how large of a corporation AT&T is. Besides wireless, AT&T encompasses wire line and data processing services for companies ranging from a business like Pizza House to IBM. As a technological company, AT&T has successfully expanded from its original invention of the telephone to a major player in the technological field today.
   
We had back to back to back meetings with executives from various levels at AT&T, all bringing a unique story and tid bit of advice we externs could take with us. Many executives, rather amazed, revealed they had been with the company for
     “23 years”
     “28 years…wow”
     “Almost 32 years”
     “There’s a guy who has been here for 60 years!”
That’s not just dedication; it’s loyalty as a result of a company that provides incredible career opportunities within its corporation.

 Many of the associates from the small business side discussed the importance of active listening, and finding solutions for a customer’s needs. Executives dealing with larger accounts began as sales associates, and were given opportunities of more responsibility within the company. They emphasized communication skills as a necessity for managing a large team. The top most executives, who all began as young graduates and took opportunities that allowed for growth, even if they were a big uncomfortable, shared their success story, which was achieved through determined attitudes, risk taking, and networking.
   
Networking, a key word seen in many Gettysburg College Center for Career Development events.

During the week we had a conversation with AT&T Recruiters, but never met them in person. During our Telepresence meeting, a very sophisticated skype session, we talked with recruiters in Atlanta in charge of the Business Sales Leadership Development Program (BLSDP). This popular program, especially among Gettysburg graduates, is an intensive sales leadership course that prepares AT&T hires for sales by delving into the “ins” of AT&T but also the “outs” in understanding sales success in any situation. The BSLDP more importantly serves as their foundation for jump-starting an incredible career. Many of the executives we met with applauded the program, and discussed their higher success within AT&T as a result of their background in sales.

Obviously the corporate culture of AT&T is unique; valuing integrity, collaboration, teamwork, customer satisfaction, and passion. During my externship I was exposed to positive corporate culture, but more importantly began building my network and relationships to help kick start my career.

Extern Ryan Selfridge '16 @ Comegno Law Group

My week with the Comegno Law Group has been an incredible experience from start to finish, and I am so grateful that I have been afforded this opportunity. There were so many different things for me to attend and learn about over the course of the five days I was here, and I count myself extremely lucky for that. The town that the office is located in is around forty minutes from where I live and I was familiar with the area, so the commute was not an issue for me.

The different experiences that I was able to observe were numerous, and I was more than happy to attend anything that I was able to. From labor negotiations between school boards and the teachers’ union to an emergent relief hearing regarding a school prom, every day I saw something new and interesting. Heading into my externship I was pretty certain about my desire to go to law school, but there was some doubt, and I had no idea what type of law would interest me the most. Coming out, I am almost completely positive that law school is what I want to do with my life. Education law is now a definite option for me, because of how interesting it was, as well as the rapport I saw between the attorneys and their longtime clients.

To be able to watch an emergent relief case essentially begin and end was the highlight of my week. The case focused on a student who wanted to bring her boyfriend of four years, a high school dropout who has a history of violence and drug problems, amongst other things, to prom at that very school. The school denied the guest during the review process, so there was a petition for emergent relief filed to allow him to attend. I was able to watch the entire case develop, and listen to the attorneys’ thoughts on it. I was able to do research on several of the court cases that were cited in the brief, and some of my notes were used in the preparation of the brief, and it was nice to see that I was able to contribute. The case culminated in litigation, with Mr. Comegno representing the school district, and it was a tremendous experience to watch an attorney as skilled and seasoned as he is argue his case.

The Comegno Law Group, P.C. has truly been great over this week. From giving personal insight to the process of applying to and going to law school, to showing me some of the nuances of being an attorney, every employee has been wonderful. Mr. Comegno has been a phenomenal host, and I was more than happy to absorb as much knowledge as he could offer. My externship has been extremely positive, and being able to attend all of these different events has been a definite learning experience, and one I plan to use when deciding on my future.

Extern Ela Thompson '16 and the PA Bureau of Workers' Compensation

Some of our Externs did blog posts, and some did entire blogs.  Check out Ela's experience at the PA Bureau of Workers' Compensation!

http://elatheextern2014.wordpress.com

Leverage Point Media - Nicholas Papoutsis '17

During my week at LeveragePoint Media, located in East Dundee, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, I became completely immersed into the world of pharmaceutical advertising. I was graciously hosted by Gettysburg College alumnus and CEO of LeveragePoint Media Jim O’Dea 80’. My externship experience was conducted with RxEDGE Networks, one of the two business sub-units that comprise Mr. O’Dea’s company. RxEDGE provides in-store advertisements for large drug companies such as Pfizer or Astra Zeneca in the form of “Solutions at the Shelf” information dispensers.

The basic scenario of this marketing strategy typically goes as follows: a consumer suffering from some health issue attempts to self-treat the problem and enters a pharmacy to find an over-the-counter product that will help relieve his or her ailment. Leveragepoint directly engages the customers and simultaneously provides exposure for prescription drug companies through their custom information dispensers. The dispensers provide general information and possible special offers for a certain prescription drug that the customer can then pursue and obtain. A prime example of this marketing strategy can be seen in one of the photos below, in which a dispenser for the EpiPen injection device is located next to antihistamines such as Benadryl within the pharmacy.

After familiarizing myself with the basics of the service that LeveragePoint Media provides, I became deeply engaged with the intricacies and logistics of what it takes to run the company and produce the final product. Kathleen Bonetti, Vice President of Marketing at LeveragePoint, was gracious enough to set up an itinerary for my externship week that would enable me to view each aspect of the company. From operations to finance and analytics, I was able to get a glimpse of the behind the scenes work that is so critical to providing a successful marketing campaign.

Other highlights of my week at LeveragePoint Media included some notable, engaging experiences. On the morning of my first day at LeveragePoint, I was assigned two small projects that would help me delve deeper into the world of pharma-marketing and even allow me to provide my own perspective on the information I researched. My first task was to complete a set of industry knowledge questions that I would slowly be able to answer each day as I learned more and more about the world of pharmaceutical advertising. The second project was also ongoing and necessitated thorough research on the topic of pharmaceutical gamification, which is nothing more than employing the characteristics of a video game to help patients monitor their adherence to prescription medications in a fun and engaging manner. I was to research the current state of gamification in the industry and compile a list of the games being developed by the large drug companies. As a culminating activity, I presented both projects to Mr. O’Dea and Kathleen in private and discussed the key takeaways from my week at LeveragePoint Media.

 My personal favorite highlight from the externship was a professional photo shoot at a Walgreen’s pharmacy, which allowed me to see some of LeveragePoint’s products first-hand in a real world setting. Pictures were taken with models posing in front of some of LeveragePoint’s dispenser boxes advertising different prescription drugs. This experience helped bring to life everything I had learned during the week. Finally, I was able to take a tour of downtown Chicago during my stay, which was an absolutely incredible experience. In just a few hours with Mr. O’Dea, I toured sights such as Wrigley Field, The Navy Pier, and Buckingham Fountain. Overall, I am incredibly grateful to the O’Dea family, the employees at LeveragePoint Media, and Gettysburg College for making this externship experience possible.

Extern Amanda Loehr '17 @ Turtle Rescue Center - NC State College of Veterinary Medicine

My externship with the Turtle Rescue Team at NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine taught me a lot about veterinary medicine in aquatic animals and about the process of veterinary school and the lifestyle of veterinary students. I was able to interact with veterinary students that are in their fourth year to students who will start their first year in the fall. I was also able to learn a lot from my host, Dr. Gregory Lewbart, even though I spent only a day with him. I was also even able to hear about sea turtle navigation research from a research scientist at UNC Chapel Hill.

 Most of the time that I was in Raleigh and in the Turtle Rescue Team’s lab. Here, veterinary students, undergrads and even some high school students take care of multiple different species of turtles with various injuries and sicknesses. Most of the turtles are Box Turtles, Common Snappers, Cooters, Sliders and Painted Turtles. Some of the most common injuries are shell fractures and bone fractures as a result of getting hit by a car or bitten by a dog. Turtles also commonly develop ear abscesses, oral abscesses and respiratory infections. In the mornings I was able to do treatments on the turtles—cleaning and flushing wounds, giving injections of antibiotics and pain medications, and various other treatments. In the afternoons I watched surgeries or helped with new turtles that were brought in.

My favorite day of my externship was Wednesday. I was able to go to UNC with Dr. Lewbart, his technician, and some of his 4th year vet students to do physical exams on 15 1-year-old Loggerhead Sea Turtles prior to being released. Here, I learned a lot about the research that is being done on these sea turtles. Dr. Ken Lohmann at UNC is researching to see how sea turtles are able to navigate the world to be able to return to the same location they were hatched in, in order to lay eggs after traveling thousands of miles in the ocean. He discovered that sea turtles are able to detect Earth’s magnetic field in order to navigate the world. After hearing about the research, I was able to do a physical exam on one of the sea turtles and draw blood from it. It was really incredible being able to work with a sea turtle, given that it is not an opportunity I will likely get again.

Overall, this was a really incredible week in which I was able to learn a lot of new things in a field of veterinary medicine that I had previously had no experience in. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and all of the guidance I received from Dr. Lewbart and the vet students.

Amanda Loehr '17

Extern Dayna DeLuca ' 16 @ Cornerstone

This week I have learned so much about myself as a person and what I would like to pursue in the business world in the future and this is all thanks to what Cornerstone has taught me throughout the week. We began the day on Monday (and each day), at 9am sharp. Me and Uyen, one of the other externs, arrived at the office and met the two other externs there for the week, Joey and Nate. We then saw Tom Scalici, the Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone and he spoke to us about what he does within the company as well as what will be expected for the week. We learned that Cornerstone is a private company which manages assets for wealthy individuals and organizations, as well as works with retirement accounts for their clients, etc. They truly put the client first and stress total transparency between the client and cornerstone when managing their funds, a trait I believe is very important and impressive. From there we spoke to four other employees that day, including Parag Joshi, the accountant who gave us an accounting problem to solve which really allowed me to jump right in to his position and what he does, since I have yet to take an accounting class and had little experience with the subject. We had a full day from nine to five, and I must admit by the end of the day I was exhausted and wondering how people in the real world work these full days! Tuesday we met with five other employees. Brian Bobeck, a Senior Consultant spoke to us about the importance of insurance (particularly life), and played out some comical scenarios between the externs and I to portray different situations that life insurance would be helpful. I definitely found this presentation interesting because I never really thought about all of the different ways life insurance can be crucial to an individual—and it is something we barely discuss while we are in school which amazed me. My favorite presentation of the day; however, was Ryan Wood’s, one of the Investment Analysts. He gave us a little project to do which basically outlined the importance of looking at multiple variables when choosing a money manager. I never thought I would be interested in this type of analytical work, but after Ryan spoke I realized that I really enjoyed interpreting the numbers and coming up with a conclusion. I obviously need to take a formal finance class and learn more about this type of field, but it definitely opened my mind up to what I would be interested in in the future. As the week went on, we met with many other interesting individuals. One that made a pretty large impact on my in particular was Mike Straubel, a Consultant who gave us some great advice on job interviews and how to deal with the transition from college to the real world. I found him very relatable to talk to (he was a Gettysburg Grad!), and his career path in the past was very interesting to hear as well, since he traveled internationally for work and is now at a smaller company and enjoyed both working for a large and a small organization.

Overall, I met some great people this week who taught us a lot about what Cornerstone stands for as well as what advice they would give us for the future. The overarching theme that many employees were preaching throughout the week was that Cornerstone was truly a family, and I definitely saw that as I watched the employees interact, whether they were joking around (we had an extern “competition” at the end of the week involving a tiny basketball hoop game ;)) or helping each other out with different projects and taking on tasks within many different sectors of the organization. Cornerstone employees definitely wear “different hats,” since they are a small company, and once you are in a position Tom and Skip (the President of Cornerstone) encourage their employees to continue their education and move around within the company. I think that is definitely a huge benefit working in a small company such as this. Moving forward, I plan on looking into taking some more in depth Finance courses at Gettysburg to see if I am interested in working as a financial analyst in the future.