CE Chicago: Farewell Event

Last night was CE Chicago's farewell event was a spectacular show of colors. The theme of the party was the color party in which interns and staff alike dressed in one solid color of their choice, the result being some amazing outfits and a whole lot of yellow. (But yellow is a great color so who could blame them?).

The party started when Katie's group walked in, and we made our way to O'Brien's Restaurant for a fantastic dinner. Afterward we went to O'Brien's roof! No not the restaurants, but our very own Lauren O'Brien's roof, which was decked out with colorful flowing banners, Christmas lights and sparklers. The mood being set, the interns dug into some brightly decorated strawberries and muffins that matched their outfits!



All the while bubbles drifted by the interns leading them to the game of bags being dominated by Alec and Mimi and floating by the magician. I'm still not sure how Suellen ended up with a different card in her hand, but needless to say the magician was magical. Some interns even had caricatures sketched of them with the skyline in the background and still others just relaxed, talked, played crainium and twister.


After enjoying a perfect night out on the roof the group made it's way back to the dorms. Where they were able to get into their comfiest sweatpants and come down to the multimedia room where the interns were presented with their superlatives awards by their mentors. Then in an unexpected, but highly appreciated twist, the interns presented the mentors with poems, songs, and artwork they created themselves as a thank you. The scene was moving, and I can think of no mentor that wasn't deeply touched by the thought each of their groups put into their goodbyes!
Finally the interns watched a slideshow (which they all received to take home) with the perfect amount of corniness and heart touching moments of aww's and laughter. The highlight of course being the Alec-David portion! With all said and done the interns spent their time saying goodbyes and hanging out. And then this morning they all gathered in the lobby to wish each departing group goodbye with tears in eyes and hugs all around as they left for the airport.

This was the perfect way to end the month and say goodbye, and now regrettably our adventure comes to an end. We are so proud of all of our interns and the amazing jobs they have done! They have made this an incredible and fun experience and we wish them the best of luck in the future and know they are now a little more prepared for what life can throw at them! Good luck Interns and thanks for a great Summer 2010!

CE Chicago: Intern Journal Entry Winners

Each summer at Career Explorations, interns are asked to write a journal entry detailing their internship experience. Some interns write about attending a memorable event such as an industry meeting or describe a meaningful conversations with an internship mentor, while others detail how the internship experience has affected future career or college plans. CE Staff select the most insightful entries and post excerpts here.

Congratulations to our Chicago winners, Patrick Sheehan and Ben Kogan!

Journal Entry Excerpt from Patrick Sheehan, Political Intern:

Politicians in the United States are looked upon for leadership in moments of distress. Politicians are elected, by the citizens, to represent the people’s best interest. To say that politicians affect the lives of citizens is an understatement; politicians can directly control the well being of the people it represents. That is why my internship with Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign is more than just a summer job; my work can change the path the United States takes.

My work consists of researching information on potential voters and calling the great citizens of Illinois to try and gauge which way they’re leaning in this upcoming election. Even though I am far from leading the Free World, all my work is directly sent to Alexi. If I make a mistake, that is one less potential donor or voter. If I succeed in persuading somebody that Alexi is the right choice for senator, or if my work leads to a donation, I know that I had an impact on the biggest senatorial race in the country.

It is still hard to believe that I am behind the scenes of a very important political race. If Alexi wins, the lives of Americans will change for the better and I will know confidently I had a part in that!

Journal Entry Excerpt from Ben Kogan, Architecture Intern:

I only truly began to understand my mentor Jim when I asked him why he became interested in architecture. Jim started at the beginning, explaining the roots of his interest—a modeling and woodworking class that he took in high school. Then, he described how that led to his time studying architecture at a University in Chicago.

But, it wasn't his words that told the story; it was his hands. He began explaining the countless late-night models he had built. His hands worked the air furiously, forming invisible walls, mullioned windows, and sloping roofs.

His eyes drifted away from mine and instead searched through the three-dimensional renderings on the office walls. His fingers explored the halls of the building sketches that rested along the paper.

My mentor's explanation showed me that architecture is about taking ideas and making them into something real, tangible, and complete.

CE NYC: Intern Journal Entry Winners

Each summer at Career Explorations, interns are asked to write a journal entry detailing their internship experience. Some interns write about attending a memorable event such as an industry meeting or describe a meaningful conversations with an internship mentor, while others detail how the internship experience has affected future career or college plans. CE Staff select the most insightful entries and post excerpts here.

Congratulations to our New York winners, Christopher Chyung and Amanda Satsky!

Journal Entry Excerpt from Christopher Chyung, Hotel Management Intern:

“Hi, nice to meet you,” said my mentor. “Welcome. I need you to get up to speed on New York City hotels. Research things like occupancy, retail, $PSF, RevPAR, ADR, F&B, pro formas, things like that, you know? You can start by reading Starwood’s and Mandarin Oriental’s Annual Reports. Then we’ll get started on the Aman property. I need to run to a meeting, be back soon.”
It was my first day on the job, and I had lost count of the many unfamiliar terms to research before my mentor had even finished her request. Once she left, I stared blankly at my computer screen, wondering what exactly to type into the Google search bar. Did she say “FNB,” “FMB,” or “F&B”? Of the thousands of hotels in the city, how many do I have to research before I’m “done”? Suddenly, I craved structure, like a day at school, or familiar comforts, like home. I realized though that this was the “real world” and I better get to work.

I wanted to learn about the hotel industry this summer, so I buckled down, searched for the annual reports, and found everything she was talking about all in one place! Now to figure out the printer…

Needless to say, I’ve been learning a lot in my internship. I am happy that Career Explorations didn’t hold my hand through the process of getting acquainted with my company. Thanks to this amazing summer experience, I have really come to love the “real world” so far.

Journal Entry Excerpt from Amanda Satsky, Music Intern:

“Go to the store on 5th Avenue. Take your time, and look around while you are there. See who is purchasing what, and what seems to be most popular and buy it,” my mentor said. “I’ll see you later. If you have any problems, please call me.” This was a task I handled for my mentor at Chesky Records this morning, and although it may seem small, I found this task very significant.

Here I was working at one of the best record labels in New York City and my mentor, whom I have only worked with for fourteen days, trusted me with her credit cards. This woman barely knew me. I felt important, like my presence and a member of the staff was appreciated and valued.

The employee at the store who rang up my purchase asked me for ID. I showed him the Chesky Records business card, and he asked if I was Lisa’s “personal assistant.” I liked the sound of that. On my journey back to the office, I daydreamed about one day becoming, ‘Amanda Satsky- Chesky Record’s Producer’s Personal Assistant’ The title had a nice ring to it. Maybe someday, thanks to my internship this summer, it can become a reality.

CE Chicago: Lincoln Park

Warm sunshine, perfectly ripe fruit, fresh herbs, gorgeous flowers, farm fresh cheeses and meats, and… African Apes? Our Saturday at the Lincoln Park farmers market and zoo was simply lovely. The skies couldn’t have been bluer and the bountiful farmer stands were bursting with beautiful peaches and blackberries. Interns and CE staff tried thick organic smoothies and breakfast sandwiches made with ingredients grown and produced not too far from the city. Following our tour of the Midwest’s finest farms, we were welcomed to the Lincoln Park Zoo by an impressive collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The primates, particularly the African Apes, stole the show, but it was exhilarating to see the jaguar at such a close distance. Thankfully no interns were made into lunch by any of the predators and everyone seemed to have an very enjoyable and relaxing day in Lincoln Park.

CE Chicago: Shrek The Musical

Today the interns went out to experience Chicago's Broadway when they saw "Shrek the Musical" at the Cadillac Theater. Obviously we can’t get any photos of the musical itself, but enjoy this photo of the lovely marquee. The musical was fantastic, while playing true to the movie it still had countless songs and twists to give it a new feel that left the audience clutching their sides with laughter. The most prominent performer had to be the three, yes you heard me right, three Fiona’s. That is child Fiona, teen Fiona, and adult Fiona. Who, when joining together for a song, blew the roof off and stunned the audience. The musical was a smash hit, but I think watching everyone try to run for the train in the pouring rain helped make the night perfect. No better excuse for everyone to get their favorite blanket and watch a movie in our media room as the night winds down.

CE NYC: Fashion Reporting

New York City is known for its big lights, huge crowds, and never ending opportunities. This summer I was able to experience New York for the first time through Career Explorations. My internship this summer was fashion, and I was able to work for New York Fashion Connect. NYFC has allowed me to write numerous articles for them in their blog, which is great because I am planning to work towards a career in fashion journalism. I am even attending a fashion show my last week here, and writing an article to my mentors. My internship through CE has not only been a great experience but also one I will never forget. Being here at Career Explorations has prepared me for the college world and gives me the confidence to know that I can make it. To me personally that is a great feeling and makes me feel like I can be successful.

-- By Amanda Lang of Thao's GA Group

CE Boston: Intern Journal Entry Winners

Each summer at Career Explorations, interns are asked to write a journal entry detailing their internship experience. Some interns write about attending a memorable event such as an industry meeting or describe a meaningful conversations with an internship mentor, while others detail how the internship experience has affected future career or college plans. CE Staff select the most insightful entries and post excerpts here.

Congratulations to our Boston winners Morgan Conners and Chris Nugent!

Journal Entry Excerpt from Morgan Conners, Medical Intern:

Before my internship experience at Boston Medical Center, I was not familiar with the medical field. Although I have volunteered at my local hospital for the past two years I have never had an experience that allowed me to observe medical professionals interacting with patients and performing surgeries. The procedures that I witnessed have inspired me to work my hardest at becoming a doctor.

The first surgery I observed was a splenectomy. A 13 year old girl had a parasitic tumor on her spleen that required the whole organ to be removed. I had stood less than five feet away from the operating table when they made the first incision. Although the average person might faint at the sight of exposed blood and the organs that are typically hidden behind layers of skin I couldn’t help but be excited by the events unfolding in front of me. It wasn’t until the spleen had been completely removed that I realized I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the future.

Now when I get asked what my plans are from the future I can be confident in my response. I can say that in two years I will be graduating high school, in six I will be graduating college, in 10 I will be graduating medical school, and then in 15 years I will have completed my residency and will be moving onto my fellowship. Although this is a very basic outline for the next 15 years of my life I am pleased by the confidence that comes with it. I know that I will be a doctor during my lifetime and I know that I will be performing surgery in whatever specialty I have. I am very grateful for the internship that I have been giving as it has allowed me to find my ideal profession.

Journal Entry Excerpt from Chris Nugent, Finance Intern:
This summer I set out to explore the financial industry through an internship. However, I gained much more than just experience in the financial field, I got a sense of what building a company is like, and I saw how something begins as just a new and innovative ideas can be developed into a successful companies.

My summer internship was with a broker from PAM (Progressive Asset Management), a subsidiary of FinancialWest Group. PAM is a firm that specializes in socially responsible investing so they screen all stocks, bonds, and mutual funds they buy on behalf of clients to ensure those securities support companies that reflect good social values. My mentor has carefully built his business through innovative marketing and superb client relations, capitalized on the green movement by marketing PAM at various green investing conferences and other environmentally related events. By assisting in the planning of these events, I saw first hand all the groundwork that goes into developing a client base, the most crucial part of a financial firm.

In addition to that, I was responsible for researching companies that were considered for investment by the firm. In this research I learned a great deal about the new innovative companies that are popping up to solve issues in society. I learned to spot companies with promising business models and values that aligned with our customers. and I developed a sense of what it takes to identify investment-worthy small companies.

As a high school student I did not know what to expect of my internship experience. Fortunately, I was able to learn the value of marketing and client relations while at the same time gaining valuable experience in researching companies and buying stocks and securities. Through this internship I have grown; I have developed a better sense of the business world, which will be invaluable later on in life and in my career.