Hometown: Richmond, Michigan
Major & Class Standing: Spanish and Chemical Engineering, Senior
Facebook: Brooke Fanale
Internship Company/Organization Name: Mushroom Cups Coffee
Location of Internship: Michigan State University, East Lansing
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
I worked as a translator for my internship. I was in charge of translating social media posts, translating health articles, and emails.
What did your daily routine include?
I worked several hours translating different documents. If I had any trouble, I contacted my supervisor but typically I just sat at my computer and worked until I finished.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I got my internship from the GRIP Program at MSU and through the site they used called 123 Connect. I used my connections with my handler at 123 Connect to talk to different employers and set up interviews.
What was your favorite part of the internship?
My favorite part of my internship was being able to translate different pieces including health articles. I had never really used any scientific lingo when translating before, so it was a unique experience gaining new vocabulary skills in this area.
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
My least favorite part was the communication with the company. I was a remote intern so I typically just received emails and did not have a lot of contact with the company. I did not like the isolated feeling when working.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
I learned that having a job in the beverage industry is difficult. A lot of the money you make depends on how you can present the product. Based on how this internship went I plan to continue to pursue a job in the beverage industry but hopefully one that is in person.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
I learned to expand my vocabulary in Spanish and to focus on how the language would sound to a Spanish speaker and not an English speaker. Also, I have built my ability to translate sentences and change them so that they sound more natural depending on the language I am translating.
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
Not every internship is the same even if they are in the same industry. You might end up in an internship you do not enjoy because of the culture of the company. However, I want you to remember that internships help shape our wants and needs of a company, so any experience is extremely valuable.
