By Catherine Nguyen
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I experienced a breakthrough moment in my internship experience when I helped co-host a Lunch & Learn event with my supervisor at Medtronic. For this project, I applied skills that I learned in summer training, my internship experience, and beyond. With my team’s support, I created different kinds of content and marketing materials for the event, including putting together a branded PowerPoint presentation, writing emails that were sent out to more than 900 MDT employees, and designing posters. I was also part of creating the content that would be delivered at the event. The topic for the Lunch & Learn was the Business Model Canvas (BMC), which is a one-page document outlining the essentials to create a business or refresh a business model/strategy. I felt confident with this topic since I had experience with the BMC prior to my internship and summer training. So, after lots of practice, my ideas were solid.
Come the day of the event itself, my supervisor and I presented in front of hundreds of Medtronic employees, including mid- to senior-level managers. It was truly a breakthrough moment for me. Not only was I just three months into my internship at the time; I also stepped up and asked if I could present with my supervisor.
Because of my initiative, I am now trusted with creating and working on other similar projects and am happy to be working on projects within my interests. I love creating something and being able to measure its success. For the Lunch & Learn, I was able to be behind the scenes arranging the logistics of the event, such as catering, but also stand upfront to deliver the content and see the amount of people who showed up. With all of the work I put into the event, I was able to establish my credibility and my ability to produce quality products. Now, I am working on more Lunch & Learn events as well as events on a larger scale.
I am especially grateful for my supervisor Tammy Lauer and the rest of the Innovation Lab at Medtronic for welcoming me onto their team. Tammy has allowed me to grow in many ways by letting me voice my interests and providing me with the tools and projects necessary for me to be successful. It is truly a privilege and honor to be on this team, and I do not take any day of my internship for granted. My team has always been open to me helping out in their project work, and I am happy to do so. I am happy to be in such a diverse, welcoming, and collaborative team. I am also very thankful for my program coordinator Austin Paul for helping me problem-solve any difficulties I had during my internship. Lastly, I would like to thank Genesys Works—this program has truly helped me become a more confident person, and I am more than happy to have an opportunity like this.
Meet the Writer
My name is Catherine Nguyen, and I am an Asian American senior at Spring Lake Park High School and a full-time PSEO student at Anoka Ramsey Community College. After high school, I will be attending the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities where I will major in marketing. I intend to transfer into the Carlson School of Management to also major in entrepreneurial management. I have goals and aspirations to become a strong business leader in the future. I currently intern at Medtronic, located in Mounds View, Minnesota.
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