Today is National Intern Day, a time to celebrate and commemorate hardworking interns.

At Davenport University, all bachelor degree programs include an experiential learning requirement, and internships are highly recommended as an opportunity to not only cultivate valuable relationships with prospective employers, but also to develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

 

Davenport University Alumna credits internship program with career success

Riley Kinnee, a 2024 graduate of Davenport University, attributes her early career success to the internship opportunities she pursued as a student. Kinnee earned two degrees—a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and another in Human Resources Management—and completed internships at both Marceco and Davenport University.

“I would not be in my current position if I hadn’t interned. I would have been about seven months out of college with little experience,” Kinnee said. “I graduated a year ago and already have two years of experience thanks to my internships.”

A graduate of Greenville High School in Michigan, Kinnee entered college unsure of her long-term career path. She knew she wanted to continue as a student-athlete and was interested in business, eventually selecting management as her major.

“I knew I needed an internship, and I had started thinking about HR,” she said.

Davenport offered strong support in helping students find internship placements, Kinnee said. One of the key tools that helped her was Handshake, the university’s internship and job platform. Through it, she connected with Marceco, a direct distribution partner for Boost Mobile, based in West Michigan.

In fall 2023, Kinnee began interning at Marceco’s HR department, working approximately 25 hours a week while maintaining a full course load. Her responsibilities began with hiring—filling eight positions—and expanded to include onboarding, first-day orientations, and managing HR paperwork.

“I was doing work I wasn’t technically qualified for on paper, but I was given the trust and opportunity to learn,” she said. “My experience helped me realize that HR was the right path for me.”

Kinnee realized that many of her management credits applied toward a second degree; she only needed four additional classes to add a major in Human Resources Management, and another internship.

In January of 2024, Kinnee started a second internship in the HR department at Davenport University. There, she led a project to revamp the university’s internal recruiting webpage for hiring managers—a system that remains in use today.

After graduation, she stayed in touch with her former director at Marceco. He expressed his desire to offer her a full-time position as an HR generalist but at the time, the company wasn’t experiencing enough growth to justify a new position. In October, the situation had changed, but Kinnee had just started a recruiting position at another company. When her former director reached out again in December, she knew it was the right fit and accepted.

Kinnee’s advice to future interns? Start early.

“Don’t wait until the last minute,” she said. “Internships don’t have to be perfect, but they should align with your interests and provide real-world experience so you can see if your career choice is the right fit. I wouldn’t have the job I have today if I hadn’t interned with Marceco.”

To learn more about internship programs and career services at Davenport University, visit www.davenport.edu.