(INDIANAPOLIS) – Internship excellence, and the interns, employers and career development professionals that make it possible, were honored today by Indiana INTERNnet during the 13th annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon.
Employer of the Year (Non-Profit) was Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is a Department of Defense science, research and technology laboratory located in southern Indiana. It has two federal student intern programs: Pathways and STEM Student Employment Program (SSEP). NSWC Crane uses SSEP to recruit for hard-to-fill STEM positions and Pathways is used to hire students in career fields such as business, finance and logistics. In any given year, NSWC Crane hires between 75 to 100 students.
The New Employee Development Organization provides interns with tours, picnics, humanitarian projects and other social activities. In 2018, NSWC Crane introduced Crane Foundations, a one-day class providing information about the organization’s mission and culture to students.
NSWC Crane partners with high schools and colleges to get students involved early on in relevant technology areas. Once a student becomes an intern, they are assigned a mentor. This mentor and the branch manager partner to develop a comprehensive training plan that provides optimal exposure to many project areas and subject matter experts.
Other winners 2019 winners are:
- College Intern of the Year: Gabriella Moline of Schererville (The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis; Butler University)
- High School Intern of the Year: Omar Matthews of Shelbyville (Custom Machining; Blue River Career Programs)
- Non-Traditional Intern of the Year: Jacob Bryant of Indianapolis (Distance Learning Systems; IUPUI)
- Intern Supervisor of the Year: Diane Walton (netlogx) Indianapolis
- Career Development Professional of the Year: Pat Rhodes (IUPUI) Indianapolis
- Employer of the Year (For-profit): Ontario Systems, Muncie
- Employer of the Year (Non-profit): Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane
- The luncheon was sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College and held at the Ritz Charles Ballrooms in Carmel. Gerry Dick of Inside INdiana Business was the event emcee.
Supporting the luncheon’s theme of “Celebrating Internship Excellence,” the event featured moderated conversations with several honorees. Focusing on best practices for both interns and employers, attendees learned more about the winners’ strategies for success.
“The IMPACT Awards Luncheon is a fantastic opportunity to see the benefits of experiential learning,” said Indiana INTERNnet Executive Director Mike Slocum. “It brings together the talented future workforce of Indiana as well as companies and professionals who are dedicated to furthering the workforce readiness of our state. It goes to show how much talent Indiana has to offer.”
Indiana INTERNnet is the statewide resource for internship opportunities managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and has helped connect students and employers across the state since 2001.
For more information about the Indiana INTERNnet program, visit www.IndianaINTERN.net or call (317) 264-6852.
College/University Intern of the Year
Gabriella Moline, Butler University (Schererville)
When Gabriella Moline started interning with the two-person public relations team at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, it was during a hectic media blitz. The Museum was opening the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legend Experience (SLE), a 7.5-acre outdoor addition.
During her internship, she wrote magazine and web articles on the SLE. Moline would arrive early and stay late, also working weekends.
“Gabby produced some of the most impressive work ever done by an intern,” notes Leslie Olsen, manager of public relations at the Children’s Museum.
Instead of resting on her laurels, she started a second Museum internship as a summer SLE intern. She worked outside, teaching visitors how to shoot free throws or sink putts. She also utilized her communications skills by making a recruitment video for SLE employees.
Moline was named the inaugural Museum Campus Ambassador, representing the Museum’s intern program. She was also presented with the Intern of the Month Award by the Museum, nominated by her fellow interns.
High School Intern of the Year
Omar Matthews, Blue River Career Programs (Shelbyville)
Omar Matthews was told welding was a very small part of Custom Machining’s business when he began his internship. But the additional manpower he provided to the department allowed it to expand considerably. When there was little welding work to do, he took on the challenge of learning how to operate other machinery, despite it not being in his job description.
Matthews demonstrated leadership in both the classroom and the workplace. While the foreman noted how daunting the processes of the shop are to new hires, that didn’t deter Matthews. Instead, new employees started asking him if their work looked right, as they noticed he was successfully completing parts. He developed a good relationship with everyone around him, regardless of any age gap, and earned respect with his work.
“He has demonstrated such growth and fortitude that I know I am a better person by knowing him, and that he will be successful in all of his future endeavors,” says Ray Schebler, his instructor at Blue River Career Programs.
Non-Traditional Intern of the Year – Jacob Bryant, Distance Learning Systems (Indianapolis)
Distance Learning Systems hired Jacob Bryant to focus on assisting with front end web development. Within his first project, however, Bryant demonstrated a skill set that exceeded expectations.
Instead of assisting with just the front end of web development, Bryant is capable of single-handedly creating both the front end and back end of web sites. This increased his department’s productivity and allowed it to rapidly scale up its projects.
“The entire web development team and manager can rely on Jacob,” offers Justin Hart, director of marketing at Distance Learning Systems. “He continues to prove that he can be depended on for high quality and productive work.”
Bryant took on a leadership role in multiple web site projects and became the point person on Distance Learning Systems’ complex e-commerce web site. He also improved the experience for the company’s customers, developing ways to more effectively handle web site inquiries, helping build relationships with web site visitors.
Intern Supervisor of the Year – Diane Walton, netlogx (Indianapolis)
Diane Walton wears many hats at netlogx. Not only is she the compliance and bid manager, and the fast track supervisor, she takes on additional work in the role of intern supervisor.
“Diane always makes time for the interns regardless of how heavy her workload is,” remarks Vicki Chabot, HR Director at netlogx. “She goes out of her way to ensure each intern has a positive and successful internship.”
Walton was consistently lauded for her caring attitude in each of the four nominations she received for this award. When an intern’s grandfather passed away, Walton supported her by attending the showing that was over an hour away. She would meet individually with interns, coaching them on their professional development and providing feedback.
By making interns feel valued, Walton creates a drive in them to work harder. “Her leadership and mentality are what motivate all the interns to do well,” shares Axel Santana Velazquez, a netlogx intern.
Career Development Professional of the Year – Pat Rhodes, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)(Indianapolis)
Pat Rhodes’s impressive impact on IUPUI is evident by her record-breaking six separate nominations for this award. Rhodes started as the career services specialist for the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI (SoIC) in 2016 and has served as its sole career development professional (CDP) since January 2018.
Rhodes single-handedly orchestrates a career fair for SoIC that typically has over 50 employers in attendance. She networks with Indiana employers, developing relationships to help find students new employment opportunities. She also meets with students to advise them on resume writing, job interviews, and career planning, even though she is the only CDP for a school of 1,400 students.
Rhodes excels in her daily responsibilities and she engages in regular community outreach by sharing her career knowledge with local high schools, also serving as the advisor for the African Student Association at IUPUI.
“Pat’s strong communication and collaboration skills coupled with eight years of experience in career services have greatly benefited our school and students,” says Molly Morin, Ph.D., a program manager for SoIC.
Employer of the Year (For-Profit) – Ontario Systems (Muncie)
The 12-week internship program at Ontario Systems strives to give its interns a robust experience. Interns receive hands-on experience doing “real work,” but also have eight hours of paid volunteer time to give back to the community and over six hours of professional development and training.
Each intern has a dedicated manager and a dedicated onboarding partner. The partner is there for ongoing support, whether it’s to help interns build their professional network or to show them the best lunch spots. All hiring managers are required to make a detailed plan for the entirety of the internship, building in success measures and metrics so the intern can easily see what a successful internship looks like.
Ontario Systems brings on about 20 interns at a time, outnumbering the internship programs of some significantly larger companies.
“Our higher rate of interns (to full-time status) is about 50%,” states Shannon Stroud, the director of enterprise organizational development and learning. “But we are not a large company. We are a company of fewer than 500 associates with just half of those in our Muncie office, which is where our internship program takes place.”
Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Awards Nominees:
Interns
- Samuel Alder, Copper Mountain Technologies (Indianapolis)
- Aubrey Baker, Lark’s Song Inc. (Marion)
- Rhiannon Beechler, ROI Search Group (Indianapolis)
- Sydney Bright, South Bend Regional Chamber (South Bend)
- David Briner, Ivy Tech Community College South Bend/Elkhart (South Bend)
- Jacob Bryant, Distance Learning Systems (Indianapolis)
- Travis Callaway, TransWorks (Fort Wayne)
- Zack Chambers, Business Improvement Group (Carmel)
- Jocelyn Chupp, Smoker Craft Inc. (Elkhart)
- Braden Cofer, Darlington (Noblesville)
- Jakob Coker, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (Fort Wayne)
- John Daugherty, Shambaugh & Son LP (Fort Wayne)
- Kyle Davis, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne)
- Emily Diamond, Ambassador Enterprises (Upland)
- Katie Doehrmann, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (Columbia City)
- Samuel Dvorak, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (Fort Wayne)
- Salvador Espinoza, Dekko (Kendallville)
- Kylee Ferree, Greene County General Hospital (Sullivan)
- Jose Chiquito Galvan, Center for Civic Innovation at Notre Dame (Goshen)
- Kristabell Gichina, DirectEmployers Institute (Greenwood)
- Edward Goldstein, Westfield Tire and Muffler (Westfield)
- Slade Gorski, DIR Incorporated (South Bend)
- Brad Grennier, Camp Fairwood (Sussex, WI)
- Zachary Hill, First Brethren Church (North Manchester)
- Walker Hobbs, Red Star Contract Mfg (Columbia City)
- Julia Kapocius, Marian Catholic High School (Chicago Heights, IL)
- Drew Keil, Brooks Construction Co., Inc. (Fort Wayne)
- Martin Kennedy, Center for Civic Innovation at Notre Dame (South Bend)
- Matt Kline, WGU Indiana (Indianapolis)
- Clair Knable, Protective Insurance (Carmel)
- Doug Lee, Somerset CPAs (Indianapolis)
- Breanna Lockwood, Bluffton News Banner (Bluffton)
- Julio Lopez, Indiana Latino Institute (Indianapolis)
- Jacob Lowe, Valve+Meter (North Ridgeville)
- Monika Marino, ATI Physical Therapy (Martinsville)
- Blake Matthews, Ontario Systems (Muncie)
- Omar Matthews, Custom Machining (Shelbyville)*
- Madison Mawhorter, Socio Labs Inc. (West Lafayette)
- Patrick McBarnes, Elevare LLC (Fort Wayne)
- Bryan McClain, Time Compression Solutions (Indianapolis)
- Courtney McDonald, Indiana University School of Social Work (Greensburg)
- Sophie Michal, Indy Chamber (Indianapolis)
- Emily Miles, WNIN Tri State Public Media (Bloomington)
- Rebecca Mims, Dani’s Dreams Innovation in Education Corp. (Indianapolis)
- Nilen Mistry, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance (Fishers)
- Gabriella Moline, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Schererville)*
- Brennan Murray, Office of Congressman Jim Banks (Winona Lake)
- Maryann O’Connor, Teachers Treasures (Indianapolis)
- Victoria Reed, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre (Butler)
- Sarah Reilly, Noblesville Chamber of Commerce (Noblesville)
- Mariah Roman, GO Ministries (Carol Stream, IL)
- Zachary Schori, Creation Celebration (Warsaw)
- Gemma Stanton, Center for Civic Innovation at Notre Dame (Cedarburg, WI)
- Bailey Sutton, 3Rivers Credit Union (Fort Wayne)
- Abigail Szentes, netlogx (Greenwood)
- Jessica Temoshek, Parkview Health (Kearney)
- Erika Thomison, Indiana University School of Social Work (Lebanon)
- Trinity Toles, Brookville Elementary School (Laurel)
- Jeffrey Topp, INterra Credit Union (La Porte)
- Jessica Vandenboom, The Summit (Markle)
- Flavia Villaca, CRH Americas Materials, Inc. (Braganca Paulista, Spain)
- Siddhi Waman, Franklin Electric (Indianapolis)
- Destiny Wardwell, Motionwear (Indianapolis)
- Taylor Williams, WGU Indiana (Indianapolis)
- Sally Wolf, Indiana Department of Workforce Development (Fishers)
Intern Supervisors
- Carmen Ballard, Lutheran Hospital (Fort Wayne)
- Sara Boukdad, enFocus, Inc. (South Bend)
- Jordan Brockman, Fort Wayne Metals (Fort Wayne)
- Mason Caba, INterra Credit Union (Goshen)
- Anthony Carra, Business Improvement Group (Leesburg)
- Tasheena Duncan, Summerfield Healthcare Center (Cloverdale)
- Denise Farrar, Town and Country Veterinary Clinic (Spencer)
- Brent Frymier, Huntington National Bank (Indianapolis)
- Lisa Goertemiller, OnPoint LLC (Noblesville)
- Manhar Grewal, Sullair (Michigan City)
- Gina Hays, Families First (Indianapolis)
- Jeremy Hendrix, Franklin Electric Inc. (Fort Wayne)
- Leslie Olsen, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- Nida Saleem, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- Sonya Snellenberger-Holm, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (Fort Wayne)
- Kyle Utter, WGU Indiana (Indianapolis)
- Matt Vincent, &Marketing; (Zionsville)
- Diane Walton, netlogx (Indianapolis)*
Career Development Professionals
- Scott Bridge, Butler University (Indianapolis)
- Cathy Day, Ball State University (Muncie)
- Tim Dearlove, MSD of Martinsville (Martinsville)
- Julie Knapp, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (Bloomington)
- Pat Rhodes, IUPUI (Indianapolis)*
- Sara Shaver, Franklin County High School (Brookville)
- Alaina Shonkwiler, Noblesville High School (Noblesville)
- Hannah Swogger, Marian University (Indianapolis)
- Mike Thomas, Butler University Lacy School of Business (Indianapolis)
- Mark Wilkinson, Noblesville High School (Noblesville)
Employers
- &Marketing (Zionsville)
- Don Hinds Ford (Fishers)
- Finish Line (Indianapolis)
- Franklin Electric Inc. (Fort Wayne)
- IMMI (Westfield)
- Intersection Advertising Agency (Muncie)
- Matchbook Creative (Indianapolis)
- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (Crane)*
- Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (Fort Wayne)
- Ontario Systems (Muncie)*
- Rea Magnet Wire (Fort Wayne)
- Regency Properties (Evansville)
- Riverview Health (Noblesville)
- Sullair (Michigan City)
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- The MDC Group (Noblesville)
The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors – representing over four million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.”
Indiana INTERNnet, a program managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, is the catalyst for expanding the creation and use of experiential learning opportunities as a key strategy in retaining Indiana’s top talent.
