Strong Work Ethic Displayed by Holy Cross Students Impresses Internship Sites

In a blog entry on his agency’s Web site, Eric Starkman, president of an eponymous firm, sings the praises of Holy Cross students. For the past five years, the New York-based public relations agency has participated in the College’s Summer Internship Program.

“Without exception, every Holy Cross intern we’ve had has far exceeded our expectations and raised the bar for their successor,” he writes.

This summer, Lauren Olney ’10, an English major with a visual arts history minor, gained experience in media relations, account strategy planning and execution, business writing and new business development at Starkman & Associates. Olney also wrote a popular blog entry on the merits of her home state of New Jersey.

“Lauren’s accomplishments here at S&A are quite impressive,” writes Starkman. “We have a client in a financial niche not readily understood by outsiders. Not only did Lauren learn their business, she used that understanding to secure a profile story on the company in an influential trade publication.”

All of this comes as no surprise to Amy Murphy, director of the Summer Internship Program.

“One of the things that I hear over and over from employers — especially employers who aren’t Holy Cross alumni — is that the work ethic of Holy Cross students can’t be beat,” she says. “I’m constantly hearing similar stories from sites.”

Murphy, who visits each site throughout the summer, recently heard from a supervisor at Chapdelaine & Co. impressed by the hard work and diligence displayed by Michael Nagle ’10, an economics major from Timonium, Md. She was told that Nagle, a midfielder on the lacrosse team, was the first one in in the morning and the last one out in the evening.

“The feedback was that everyone in the firm was really impressed with him — he asked a lot of good questions, he was interested, and he was always asking for more work.”

Related Information:

* Summer Internship Program * Stepping Up; Holy Cross Alumni group increases support for intern program (Worcester Business Journal, Aug. 17) * Summer Internship Program Sees Another Record Year * Read a blog by Alice Simcoe-Matthews ’10 who interned at Autism Speaks this summer * Read a blog by Christine Giamattei ’10 who interned at Brooklyn Industries this summer