The entrepreneurial internship program--the brain child of Dinette Rivera, CEO of the Rivera Business Development Group and instructor at UD's Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship--began in fall 2007 with plans for three interns, but nine students signed up. The group grew to a dozen students in spring 2008.
James O'Neill, professor of economics, who teaches the course, ECON350, said the internship program enables the students to transfer what they gained from their experience inside and outside the classroom and apply marketing and accounting principles in a meaningful way.
“The value is in enabling them rather than just taking a test,” O'Neill said. “They respond to questions from business people and that really improves their self-confidence, because they have someone in business who gives them the feeling that they are adding value to the business. We require them to do an evaluation report at the end and in every situation it's been really positive. Many of the students want to continue on a volunteer basis because they've developed a relationship with the business and they feel very good about themselves.”
The interns work closely with startup businesses in several areas, including developing business and marketing plans and conducting research. They also visit existing businesses and consult with business owners in areas where help might be needed. They visit the YWCA Center for Women's Entrepreneurship and assist Business Plan Program clients at the YWCA Newark location, Rivera said.
The interns work under supervision of Rivera, who accompanies them to all initial meetings and most of the subsequent interactions with business owners. Rivera also helps the students develop the plans.
In addition to the Rivera Business Development Group, the interns have worked with with El Tiempo Hispano (The Hispanic Times), Napolitano Originals jewelry, Gecko Fashions, Pat's Pizzeria, and Young Divas. Next semester, interns will team up with the Downtown Newark Partnership to work on the holiday marketing campaign.
Jennifer Mendelsohn, a leadership major from Bellmore, N.Y., who graduated in May, said the internship not only gave her additional skills that will be useful in her career path in public relations, but enhanced her confidence as a public speaker.
“I learned how to consult for businesses, and now I can say that I know how to do it and I can be of help to organizations in that area,” Mendelsohn said. “It is fulfilling to learn new things because you never know when those skills are going to come in handy. I would highly recommend this internship experience to other students in upcoming semesters.”
Valian Afshar, a junior finance and accounting major from Wilmington, Del., said the internship gave him an inside, close-up look at what it takes to run a business, as well as seeing the actual work that goes into it. Afshar's internship was mostly conducting research, some marketing and overall administrative tasks at TLC Law, the law offices of Tabatha L. Castro in Trolley Square in Wilmington, Del.
“I have an interest in law, so it was especially beneficial to me, working with an actual law firm,” Afshar said. “It certainly gave me more realistic expectations of the amount of time and effort necessary to have a successful business and the benefits that go along with it, namely being your own boss.”
Karen Martin, a senior economics major from Macungie, Pa., worked with Kay Snelling, the owner of Gecko Clothing in Newark, Del., to develop a marketing and advertising campaign for the store. Martin created a flyer that she distributed around campus and sent to a Facebook group.
“Working with Kay was a great experience because she is extremely motivated and always trying to improve her store,” said Martin, who also had conducted research for a new cleaning company and reviewed the business plans of various businesses. “She was a great mentor to look up to, and inspired me to want to start my own business. The experience of going through the internship program for my class was definitely something that opened up my eyes to the possibility of owning my own business one day, and I would recommend it to anyone who takes ECON350.”
O'Neill said the class, which had 55 students last semester, offers the choice between the internship and studying a company identified in Entrepreneur magazine in top 100 to analyze what has enabled them to achieve that level of success. The internship, he said, is becoming more popular because it gives participants an edge over other students when they go interviewing for jobs or other summer internships.
“I've been very pleased with the program and Dinette deserves a lot of credit because she been very active in working with area businesses,” O'Neill said. “She has served as the students' mentor in many cases. She has had direct experience working with them and with the businesses that she had identified. It's been a really nice outgrowth of the practical application of the course.”
Article by Martin Mbugua
Photo by Duane Perry