Pacific Index

Pacific’s College of Business awarded a grant that will supply over 60 student internships

   While Pacific students have been weighed down with piles of homework from their spring term classes, a handful of marketing students have been tackling more real-world tasks. Pacific’s College of Business was the lucky recipient of a grant that offers 60 student internships over the next five semesters. These internships give the students an opportunity to work with local businesses on their marketing tactics—and they’re making a big impact. 

   “We’ve learned a lot,” shares Frank Roth, marketing executive director. “And the students, I’ve really enjoyed that they have lots of questions.” The group of students this term are the first to benefit from the grant and they’ve been split up into small teams to partner with three businesses in the surrounding area. “One is called Telvet Coffee, which is right across the street; the other one is called Binary Brewing,” Roth began, describing the businesses that are currently being impacted by the grant. “The Hillsboro Hopps, the baseball team, is more on the upper end.” Each business varies in size and needs, requiring unique ideas and inventions from the students. 

   “All of them have needs, and ways that students can learn about digital platforms, websites, and social media to help them drive their growth,” he continues. “That’s the intent is to give them [the students] that exposer to learn.” The students have all taken different angles while helping their business partners. Two of the three teams have been granted access to recreating and improving their companies’ websites. The third team is more focused on creating marketing campaigns. “Right now, what they love the most is they’re actually dealing with business owners who have real opportunities and problems– and we’re helping them,” Roth says, describing how the students have been perceiving the experience. 

   “We have a whole, what we’ll call a growth playbook, which has five different steps from alignment and planning to then actually presenting the growth playbook at the end,” Roth continues. Watching the students learn to interact with business owners has been one of the highlights of this project for Roth, especially because each student brings their own set of unique skills to the table. “That’s some of the things they’re learning in real world is you gotta flex your style to your client, so that’s been fun for them.” 

   “It’s definitely good real-world experience,” shares Trent Dagan, one of the students who’s partnered with Telvet. “We’ve all met with the owner a couple of times now, so it’s been good in terms of having formal business meetings and making connections with clients.” Another student, Anna Emerson, commented that the experience has really helped broaden her knowledge of various platforms that they don’t often get to use in the classroom. “We’re using different project management tools and just things that’ll be a little bit more relevant to us when we graduate which is nice,” Emerson adds. 

   “I think it’s unique,” Emerson continues, touching on the way this experience has impacted her.  “For me it’s not the connection to the university; it’s meeting the real owner, hearing his story, and that makes it a little bit more of a connection once you know him and want to help and see results. It’s really exciting.” Most of the students echoed Emerson’s sentiment, explaining that the businesses have been very open and enthusiastic while working with the students. Each group has a ‘champion,’ which is the person from each business that works closely with the students. Zachary Bates, one of the students who’s partnered with the Hillsboro Hopps, highlighted his groups champion. “Blake’s been pretty open and transparent with us,” he commended. “He’s a pretty down to earth guy, so it’s actually pretty nice that he doesn’t kind of shit on our ideas sometimes when he may have a lot more experience than we do.” 

   For the students, this internship is the start line for their future careers. For the businesses, this is an incredible opportunity to boost their marketing. One of the students working with Binary Brewing, Aidan Pierias, advises students to take advantage of the internships while they’re available. “I’d highly recommend it,” Pierias comments. “I feel like especially in the future after I graduate, looking for an actual job, now that I know what certain parts entail it’ll be really helpful.” As the semester draws closer to its end, the impact this internship has made is sure to continue on for both the students and the businesses.