Intern Honored

By Matt Hawkins

Melinda Schanzle ’17, a marketing major from St. Louis, is the Smith Career Center’s 2016 Intern/Co-Op of the Year for the Foster College of Business.

Schanzle has interned for Hult Marketing since the fall of 2014. Her work with social media and research earned her a promotion after a year. She now develops content for Hult’s social media, blogs and client campaigns.

She initially sought Hult’s internship because of the agency’s reputation for mentoring students. That relationship with staff and supervisors enabled her to develop personal and professional skills valuable in the marketplace.

“I’m grateful they took a chance on a sophomore college student who showed passion and determination but lacked experience,” Schanzle said. “Because of that opportunity, I’ve learned much about the industry and I have no doubt that I’m prepared for a career in marketing.”

Schanzle started with a focus on social media, client research and data management. After a year on the job, Hult promoted her from intern to content developer. In this role, she is responsible for strategically creating and managing content for Hult and clients. She works on blogs, ebooks, lead generation materials, press releases, social media and other digitally focused content.

Two years at the agency gave Schanzle one asset that will benefit her the rest of her life — confidence. Though she didn’t trust her professional skill set at first, she relied on passion and inquisitiveness to learn the business. As she learned more at the agency, she learned to make her talent shine.

“I’ve always been a driven, determined student, and this taught me to stay eager to learn in professional settings,” Schanzle said. “Because of my passion, I ended up with a promotion crafted to my skillset when I didn’t even know a promotion was possible.”