Through hands-on Excel training, analytical thinking techniques, customer relationship development strategies and the first-hand experiences and knowledge of the various marketing/business professors at Haslam, I was able to come to my internship at Marathon Petroleum Company with a strong backbone of intellectual capability. The various Excel projects I created during the course of my internship and strong eye for detail did not go unnoticed, and I have my previous professors to thank for this knowledge set.

Although in the end, the industry was not the correct fit for me, the information and experience I gained from my internship will forever be invaluable in my future marketing career upon graduation. I encourage every business student to go out of his or her comfort zone and complete an internship before his or her time at UT comes to a close—whether this translates to moving to a new geographical area or working in a new industry. Above all, the internship experience will allow you to carve your own path in the business world, and even if you learn the industry or job description is not for you, that means you are one step closer to finding you dream job and going after you passion.