The learning environments look different at Lander University.
The traditional classroom setting - neatly aligned desks, whiteboards, monitors and projectors - is appropriate for discussing the principles, theories and scenarios students may face upon graduation. Yet, Lander aims to provide opportunities for its students to apply those classroom lessons in the real world. And in Lander’s College of Business, students receive that authentic, firsthand experience alongside dedicated faculty and mentors who train students through unique and exciting summer internships and learning experiences.
These opportunities don’t just reinforce classroom learning. They give Lander graduates impressive resumes that demonstrate their capabilities as job candidates. They also provide students with the chance to network with industry leaders and young professionals, building relationships that may lead to glowing references or open doors to future jobs.
Four of these opportunities were made possible to students studying in Lander’s College of Business, who have shared the outcomes of their summer learning experiences below. These students not only earned credit towards completing their business degrees, but they also learned valuable lessons in specific industries, fine-tuned their customer service skills, stepped into leadership roles and made meaningful connections to help them launch successful careers.
Ready to get started? Visit www.lander.edu/business to learn more!
Ethan Waites - Newberry Electric Cooperative
While college graduates are equipped with problem-solving skills to help them navigate complex challenges, internships give students a chance to think on their feet, while also maintaining a professional composure when dealing with members of the public. Ethan Waites is a junior business administration major, with an emphasis in management/marketing, and this summer, he had the opportunity to intern at Newberry Electric Cooperative, where he served as both a customer service representative and as a billing specialist. This allowed Waites to see the ins and outs of the utility company’s organization, as well as work directly with the cooperative’s members, “effectively communicating with multiple members on a daily basis with complex information in a clear and concise manner,” Waites said.
“The work that I performed during this internship allowed me to apply my university learning to the real-world workforce environment,” he continued. “It assisted me in building skills and getting comfortable with talking to multiple members day in and day out, assisting them with the help of professional customer service. The experiences and skills I was able to master in just three months will help me moving forward as I chase my dreams of being able to work in the business world in the future.”
Caden Lawrence - Charles Schwab
Sumer learning experiences also help students prepare for specific licensures and certificates they will need in particular industries, giving them a chance to refresh their knowledge of fundamental concepts while also completing meaningful work in the field. Caden Lawrence, who is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in financial services, was selected for a nine-week internship with The Charles Schwab Corporation in their client services and support department, under investor services. At Schwab, Lawrence learned “how to effectively and efficiently communicate with clients, while studying for my Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam through Schwab, which I passed,” he said. Lawrence also had the chance to meet and network with several executives during his experience, including the company’s chief executive officer and chief operations officer.
“My summer learning experience aligned perfectly with my College of Business education from Lander,” Lawrence said, adding that the experience has only strengthened his resolve to work in the financial sector after graduating from Lander. “The College of Business has instilled deep confidence in myself to be successful in a variety of environments.”
Charlie Beiers - American Junior Golf Association
As a member of the Lander University Men’s Golf Team, Charlie Beiers’ internship combined his athletic passion with his academic and professional pursuits. A business administration major with an emphasis in sports management, Beiers had the opportunity to work for the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) as a traveling operations intern. This past summer, the AJGA hosted 93 golf tournaments across the country for junior golfers seeking college scholarship opportunities through golf. Beiers was placed on an internship team responsible for 12 of those tournaments, and was on the road for 13 weeks. While spending time in different parts of the country, Beiers received extensive training in event planning and management, but also had the chance to network with professionals across multiple industries. Among those were the CEO of Hormel Foods in Austin, Minnesota; LIV Tour players in Oklahoma City; the head of maintenance (North America) for Circle K; and many more.
“Lander provided me with networking skills and real-world situations that helped prepare me for my summer with the AJGA,” said Beiers. “I was able to elevate my interpersonal skills I learned in the classroom and utilize them in real world situations. Having the opportunity to gain real-world experiences with Lander’s Sports Management program has helped me prepare for life after college in the sport industry.”
Britton Weems - Pepsi Beverages North America
Lander’s business graduates are training to be leaders in their respective careers, and internships regularly provide students with the opportunities to step into leadership roles in their organizations. Britton Weems, a business administration major, with an emphasis in management/marketing, interned with Pepsi Beverages North America (PBNA) to train sales representatives serving Walmart locations on their sales routes on in-trade repack utilization. “Basically, if one of our core products gets damaged (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew) while it’s in the trade, our sales reps can repack the product so that it can be sold to consumers,” Weems said. This process is only applicable to certain products in certain cases, he explained. Weems spent the summer performing one-on-one training with 20 different Walmart trade representatives, and assisted with improvements to the repack inventory system in Pepsi’s Columbia plant. He also received valuable cross-training in “virtually every aspect of our business,” he said.
“My summer learning experience complimented my College of Business education through relationships,” said Weems. “Because the class sizes are small, I am able to get real relationships with my professors and have connections with virtually all my classmates. Over the summer, I had a huge learning curve. The food and beverage business is very specific so I was fairly new to a lot of things, but the one thing that I could rely on was building relationships with my peers and bosses and I have Lander to thank for that.”
Flexibility Meets Affordability:
While a college education is a game-changer in long-term career success, it shouldn’t burden you with loads of student debt. That’s why Lander University is proud to offer a world-class education at a price that students and their families can afford. We’ve kept our tuition frozen for nine consecutive years, and most students qualify for state and federal scholarships and grants that make the total cost of their Lander education even lower.
Lander’s College of Business couples the affordable price-tag with flexible options to earn your degree. Students can earn their bachelor’s or master’s degree fully online, or on Lander’s beautiful campus in Greenwood, South Carolina. No matter the delivery option you choose, you’ll receive constant support from Lander’s highly-credentialed and dedicated business faculty, who have years of experience in their respective fields. You’ll also receive personal feedback and attention as you craft your own unique learning experience and grow as a more seasoned business professional.
Ready to learn more about earning your business degree from Lander University? Visit www.lander.edu/business for more information, or to apply today!