At Genesys Works Twin Cities, a year-long business and technology internship is more than just a job. It is an opportunity for our young professionals and corporate partners to engage in creating a truly meaningful work experience and form lifelong connections. 

Read on to learn about our November Featured Intern and Featured Supervisor and how they are making their internship experiences great! And, don’t forget to check out some best practices and tips inspired by their advice and experiences at the end of the article, as well as an update on what our interns are working on as they explore college and career opportunities

Featured Intern: Symphonie Whitted, Cargill

This November, our featured intern is Symphonie Whitted, an IT intern at Cargill. Her supervisor, Paul Lahr, nominated Symphonie because he was impressed with her skillset and her positive attitude on learning new skills

“Symphonie has been a great addition to our team! We’ve been impressed with her ability to absorb new topics and ask the right questions. She has a positive attitude and is always looking for a challenge.”

When we asked Symphonie about her internship experience, she shared:

“Going into my internship, I was a bit nervous because I thought that I would have to figure out a lot of things on my own. However, I have received so much support from my supervisor and my team at Cargill to make sure that I succeed. I don’t think I understood until I started my internship that everyone truly is rooting for you and wants to help you get the most out of your experience.”

Symphonie is currently working with the Human Resources and Treasury Department at Cargill, where she is responsible for Small Work Administration, SharePoint/Microsoft Teams consolidation, and Demand Shaping. In addition to this, she is also learning about Web design and coding from the DXO team

“I try my best to make a positive impact on my team by coming to work with an open mind and a will to learn something new every day. The simple act of being curious and wanting to learn has already opened the door to so many opportunities for me to learn and grow.” as stated by Symphonie.

Symphonie has a willingness to learn more about technology, and because of her curiosity, she shared with us how her internship will affect her future:

“As far as technology goes, I have learned how to navigate new programs such as Clarizen and SharePoint. The small work administration that I do is pretty much all done in Clarizen. Prior to my internship, learning an entirely new program like this would have seemed way too daunting. However, with the support of my supervisor Paul and PC Adrienne, I was able to tackle each one of my tasks confidently. Also, taking into account that I want to pursue a career in technology, there is a chance that I might have to use these programs in the future, which means that I’ll already be one step ahead.”

After learning more about Symphonie and her internship experience, we also asked what she would like to share with other interns like her; she told us:

“If I could share any advice with other interns, I would tell them to ask questions and a lot of them! If you don’t understand something or have an idea, please say it! I’m sure your supervisor or team wants to hear your input. I know for a fact that each person pursuing an internship right now is there for a reason and has something amazing to share, so don’t be afraid to use your voice!”

Symphonie is one of many interns in our program that has proven the value of what our interns are capable of when they want to learn and grow. Thank you Symphonie, for your tremendous work at Cargill, and congrats again!

Featured Supervisor: Julia Lucyk, Sun Country Airlines

Our Featured Supervisor this November is Julia Lucyk, a Service Desk Technician at Sun Country Airlines. Julia’s intern, Aini, nominated her because of her incredible guidance, patience, and effective methods in teaching Aini new skills.!

Aini shared this with us when she nominated Julia: 

“Julia, you are an amazing supervisor, and I enjoy working with you. Thank you for helping me and making sure I know what I am doing. Thank you for being patient with me as I learn all these new skills. I appreciate you, Julia.”

When we asked Julia about the internship experience so far, Julia shared with us her insight and how she wanted to prepare for Aini:

“I prepared for our new intern Aini by being involved in the Genesys Works training for supervisors. What helped me the most though, was and is being able to work with my very own Genesys Works supervisor from my internship. He has been able to guide me and work through scenarios one on one to prepare for a high school intern.”

Julia also mentioned her impressions of Aini and what she plans for their future together: 

“My impression of Aini so far has been blown away. She is incredibly smart and motivated; she’s working two jobs while going to school and preparing for her future. Aini is a very hard worker and a joy to have on our team.

  My goals for the rest of the year with Aini would be to stay consistent with our statuses; though work gets busy, it’s important for me to make dedicated time for her to take freely with me. Another goal would be to celebrate wins together! She passed her permit test not too long ago, and that was super exciting; she took her first phone call, and she did great! Big or “small,” wins should be celebrated.”

Julia is in an incredibly unique position to our interns because she was once in the Genesys Works program. Julia informed us more about Genesys Works and what being a Genesys Works Alumni Supervisor is like:

“My favorite part about managing a Genesys Works intern so far is getting to know Aini on a deeper level and hopefully provide the best experience for her. Our statuses can be more than just talking about work; we can talk about school, friends, life, and future plans. Learning about my intern helps provide a better understanding of where she wants to go in life, and I’m happy to provide any guidance that I can.

 I feel that being a Genesys Works Alumni has given me an advantage to supervising a YP. I’ve taken a lot from my high school internship and have tried to reflect that to Aini’s. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of many Genesys Works events, which I can learn from and then pass to my intern as well.

 As far as goals with Genesys Works, I would love to continue to grow as a supervisor by staying consistent with training and events. Also, I want to spread the word around Sun Country that Genesys Works is an amazing program, and I would recommend it to any other teams thinking about hiring an intern.”

We appreciate supervisors like Julia in helping Genesys Works interns remain motivated. Their intentionality inspires our young professionals to strive for growth and reach their goals continuously!

Congratulations Julia! We are thankful to have you in our Supervisor and Genesys Works Alumni Network