By Essence Buckman, Staff Writer

For three seniors– Katherine Buchanan, Jonathan Franklin and Lindsay Uhlinger — an opportunity was provided to them to spend their summer break interning at a non-profit think-tank, research and educational organization called the Aspen Institute.

The internship is located in three places.  The specific one these three students attended was in Aspen, Colorado.  This summer internship is an opportunity recommended for all rising seniors with any major, providing an experience that teaches interns to be hard workers, to grow as leaders, to grow personally and to learn how to function in the professional world.

To be accepted into the internship, the applicants had to provide a resumé, cover letter, and a statement about what makes the student stand out.  From there, The Space was responsible for choosing their top applicants to be interviewed by Mike Brown, class of 1976 who picked the students that he believed would do well for the internship.

After being chosen, different expectations arose in the minds of the three interns prior to traveling to Aspen.  Franklin did not know what to expect, Uhlinger simply expected to always work hard and Buchanan expected to learn and have a great experience.  Though they had different expectations, they all were grateful for their experience, and raved about the opportunities provided and the different people they met in the midst working hard in order to complete whatever task was assigned to them.

A typical work day was never the same as the day prior to it.  The interns would work on multiple tasks such as preparing for various events planned for donors, laminating name tags, running a registration desk at a lecture, setting up rooms for private reception events and listening to speakers.

While having to work hard, all three interns from Wofford can attest to the job experience providing them with an atmosphere advocating the importance of teamwork and having an enjoyable experience.

In order to be skillful while working, Uhlinger claims that interns should be “flexible, have a positive attitude and patience,” along with Franklin believing that “communication, a great work ethic and people skills” are key to possess.  Adding to those recommended strengths, Buchanan mentions that the interns are given “thorough” training.

Those qualities, along with being prepared, helped interns complete their various tasks each day, while maintaining an enjoyable experience working with their supervisors and other staff members.

During their opportunity to intern with this organization, the interns were able to enjoy their free time participating in recreational activities.  All were fascinated with the outdoor life in Aspen.  One of Buchanan’s favorite experiences was enjoying beautiful views while biking in the valley of the Rio Grande trail.  Uhlinger hiked through “the grotto,” which are ice caves, finding a beautiful sight of a waterfall.  On the other hand, Franklin, despite being impressed with many things in Aspen, was very excited to meet his favorite actress, Angela Bassett, who was in Aspen advocating the fight to cure to cure Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, known as ALS.

For anyone interested in summer internships, talk to friends who have experience and inquire advice from The Space or other faculty or staff members.  The experience that Buchanan, Franklin and Uhlinger had not only provided an opportunity for them to network and learn vital skills to take with them into the professional world, but also exposed them to personal growth in themselves, leading them into their senior year at Wofford.