Intern Feature: Frances Sehneah
Genesys Works Twin Cities has more than 310 amazing young professionals in our program – engaged and motivated interns – working towards career success. For our October Making Internships Meaningful feature, we are recognizing Target intern Frances Sehneah who was nominated by her supervisor Delight DeMulling for her motivation in achieving great feats of innovation since the onset of her internship.
With her can-do spirit, Frances has already sought out a meaningful internship experience during her first few weeks at Target. Her team utilizes an app called SurveyGizmo, and while she didn’t have any experience in the app prior to her internship, she began formal training to expand her skillsets. After completing numerous courses and tests, Frances received her certification. But, she didn’t stop there – rather, she applied her knowledge to launch her own app: Go-Cart survey! Her supervisor Delight has taken notice: “Thanks for jumping in headfirst and being an independent learner!”
Frances believes that the eight-week skills training she completed with Genesys Works helped prepare her for an internship with Target and even her training in SurveyGizmo. She pointed out that her Excel knowledge – how to navigate and create documents in Excel – prepared her with the know-how to navigate this new application.
As she embarks on her last year of high school, Frances has already started to consider her post-secondary plans. She hopes to attend either the University of Minnesota or the University of Southern California on a pre-med track. Recently, Genesys Works was able to connect her with additional information on the University of Minnesota through the virtual College and Career Connections Conference, where they discussed everything from scholarships to programs within the application process.
As a current young professional working at Target, Frances has some advice for other young professionals who hope to do well in their internships. She advises that young professionals work in a timely manner and gain the most out of training in the early weeks of their internship. “Do your work on time each week during training. You don’t want to wait until the last week before you start getting it done because it just creates a lot of stress.” She also encourages others to reach out whenever they need support, whether that be to other young professionals or their supervisor. Lastly, she encourages others to simply be themselves!
Thank you, Frances, for your hard work in ensuring your internship gets off to a great start and to her supervisor Delight for providing Frances the space to explore the numerous opportunities available at Target.
Supervisor Feature: Chad Killian, Optum
Genesys Works Twin Cities is grateful to have more than 200 supervisors in our network of devoted IT and business professionals that support and mentor our young professionals. In our October installment of the 2020-2021 Making Internships Meaningful series, we recognize Chad Killian, a supervisor at Optum, for his commitment to welcoming his intern George Yang onto his team and laying a strong foundation for his success.
Transitioning into a corporate workspace can be a unique challenge. Because of that, George appreciates how friendly and cordial his supervisor has been throughout his transition onto the Cyber Defense Operations team at Optum. “He helped make my first few weeks working for Optum an easy process and has motivated me to continue working hard.” In the initial weeks of his internship, George was able to prioritize learning about the team and adjusting to the new challenges of a corporate job.
Great supervisors make a difference – they help interns remain driven and enthusiastic about the work they do and the various concepts they learn; George’s supervisor Chad is no different! He helps motivate and pique George’s interest in the many tasks he completes. While getting acquainted with his new role on the CyberDefense Operation team, Chad provided George with modules and readings on the work they do as a team to help him adjust and feel at home. Moreover, George has worked on building two programs: Road Maps for the Vulnerability Management Program and the Rugged Development Operations Program. Chad also hopes to get him started soon on scripting to build his Python skillset.
Through the guidance he’s received from Chad, George feels positive and hopes to keep an open mind for whatever the future brings him. With the experiences he’ll gain, George is confident he can continue to grow his knowledge and skillsets long-term. Being a supervisor is important to Chad, “I was excited to bring youth into our security organization. Young people have different perspectives and are willing to ask questions that can challenge the way things have always been done.” Chad is hoping to provide George with the opportunity to build the tools he needs for whatever George is passionate about in the future.
We appreciate supervisors like Chad in helping Genesys Works interns remain motivated. Their intentionality inspires our young professionals to continuously strive for growth and reach their goals!
