Bethany Fingerle

Major: Event Management
Company/Organization: Iowa State University
Company/Organization website: http://www.iastate.edu
Destination: Ames, IA
Timeframe: Summer
Advisor/Coordinator Email: rmcclain@iastate.edu

Responsibilities

Become knowledgeable about all academic disciplines, culture, policies and processes in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Work collaboratively with administrators, faculty, staff and students (undergraduate and graduate). Participate in committee work for college events and projects including setting agendas, preparing information to present at meetings, and meeting follow-up. Work with the college communications team to promote events including marketing materials, social media, web site content, and press releases. Plan and prepare event and project meeting agendas, design programs, and develop signage. Work within various event and project budgets. Attend and help facilitate events throughout the summer providing leadership including supply pick-up, set-up, event execution, and tear-down. Develop event and project final reports.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment was researching, planning, and leading 5 focus groups to get information about how the College of Health and Human Sciences website can best benefit students. I started by researching what a focus group is and how to lead a successful focus group discussion. Next, I drafted emails and questions, and reached out to students to get participants. Then, I facilitated all 5 focus groups and summarized the main themes that were discussed by the participants.

What advice would you give?

Always be open to new experiences, you'll never know what will happen. I never pictured myself in this internship but it's been one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in my academic career. If you work hard, opportunities will present themselves.

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