Third Annual Beyond BK Dinner Celebrates Internships of FHU Business Students

From Capitol Hill to corporate boardrooms, students in the Freed-Hardeman College of Business recounted the meaningful internship experiences that took them beyond the classroom and into their fields at the Third Annual Beyond BK Intern Recognition Dinner. Sponsored by Watkins Uiberall, PLLC, the event celebrated the hard work, resilience and dedication of students who tested their classroom knowledge in real-world settings.

Dr. Matt Vega, Dean of the FHU College of Business, discussed his observations of the students who choose to intern. “I can always tell which students had significant internship opportunities over the summer and which didn’t,” Vega said. “Interns return with a heightened understanding of the real-world applications of what they learned in our classrooms.”

Of the 32 business student interns recognized at the dinner, seven were chosen to speak on their internship experiences and encourage other students to seek opportunities. Speakers were Daniel Grooms, a senior accounting major who interned at Ernst & Young; Griffin Collins, a sophomore finance and law and politics major who interned for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell; Aidan Harrison, a senior business analytics major who interned with Transcard; Elizabeth McKeeby, a junior accounting major who interned with UHY, LLP; Jadyn Hope, a senior marketing major who interned at DPW Manufacturing; Grigorii Sibilev, a graduate business major who interned at Integrity Music Company; and Zena Dorris, a senior marketing major who interned with 2-COM Communication Components.

Senior accounting major Daniel Grooms speaks of his internship at Ernst & Young

Grooms described his internship with Ernst & Young, an experience that led to a full-time position he will begin after graduating in May. After working alongside professionals in the accounting field, he had advice to offer his peers. “On one hand, pursue your passion, and pursue your future,” he said. “Then, once you get the job, pour yourself into it, and it will pour itself back into you.”

Collins reflected on his internship in Washington D.C. “I walked the halls and observed the daily lives of Leader McConnell, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Chuck Schumer,” he said. “I learned about the intricacies of how our government operates on the inside.” As a law and politics major, this internship proved to be helpful in kick-starting his career. Next summer, he plans an internship for Benchmark Mortgage Company in Plano, Texas, to better his skills in finance and banking.

Harrison learned to think outside the box during his experience, as his internship did not directly correlate with his business analytics major. “It was not exactly focusing on my specific career goals or the particulars of what I’m studying here at Freed-Hardeman,” he said. “However, the internship opportunity to be in an office and a corporate setting really challenged me to develop my communication skills.”

Ashley Deffenbaugh, FHU instructor of accounting

Hope’s internship at DPW Manufacturing pushed him to put his creativity to the test with social media marketing. “I was offered creative liberties in content creation and strategies, simply with the assignment to ‘go and create,’” he said. “This experience offered me the ability to have confidence when entering the workforce next summer.”

McKeeby was able to hone her skills in accounting at UHY, utilizing various professional tools. “I gained experience with Quickbooks, prepared bank reconciliations and compilations, and interacted with clients in person,” she said. “I was also able to improve on my research and presentation skills.”

Graduate business major Grigorii Sibilev interned at Integrity Music Company

Sibilev’s experience with Integrity Music Company allowed him to turn his hobby into a profession. “As someone who likes to produce music myself, I’ve always been interested in the creative side,” he said. “I was eager to gain business knowledge about it, and this internship definitely gave me the opportunity to do that.”

Senior marketing major Zena Dorris shares about her internship at 2-COM Communication Components

Dorris’ impressive work during her internship at 2-COM Communication Components earned her the pathway to a full-time position after graduation. “Since mine was a digital marketing internship, I was able to apply my business class concepts while also learning new ones,” she said. “This hands-on opportunity helped me gain a deeper understanding of what I’m going into.”

Enoch Sparks, an FHU College of Business alumnus and representative from the evening’s sponsor, Watkins Uiberall, encouraged the students and invited them to apply for positions with the company. “Something that was emphasized by all of the professors here at FHU was company culture,” Sparks said. “Go somewhere where you can not only fit in, but you can also excel—where you can be in a culture that sees your value and allows your value to grow while you’re there.”