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A partnership between the Crawford County Development Association and Lincoln Trail College gave one student an opportunity to gain valuable experience. Haley Bricker (’24) recently completed a six-month-long internship with the CCDA.
The internship opportunity arose from a conversation between LTC President Tona Ambrose and CCDA Executive Director Resa Shaner. Recognizing the potential for student growth and community exposure, President Ambrose approached Shaner with the idea. For Bricker, the path to this opportunity was paved by her business class instructor, Amie Mayhall, who recommended her for the position.
Shaner, who has decades of professional experience, embraced the role of mentor with enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. “I was honored, but I also knew I had a grave responsibility to share the work that CCDA does and an opportunity to help someone else learn. Being a mentor is hard work, but totally worth it!”
Initially, Bricker was tasked with administrative support duties, but as Shaner recognized her growing capabilities, the intern's responsibilities expanded. Soon, Bricker was preparing meeting minutes, organizing analytical work, and assisting with monthly financial reports.
Shaner says there were three key things that she wanted to make sure Bricker took away from the internship. “I wanted her to get exposure to the community by attending things like HR roundtable meetings and community meetings so she could get a glimpse of what happens in Crawford County and meet the key stakeholders who make a difference. I wanted to give Haley a vision of what it would be like to be a potential female leader in the community and instill confidence in her ability to achieve any task and make a difference. I also wanted to provide practical experience in daily tasks and time management.”
Bricker says her knowledge of the community increased. She says she also improved her computer skills and communication skills. “It was great to have Resa as a mentor. Resa is very kindhearted, very knowledgeable, and a hard worker, it was a pleasure to be able to work by her side. She is someone I can say I look up to.”
She says that her classes at Lincoln Trail College helped prepare her well for the internship with the CCDA, especially the classes that focused on things like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. She says that LTC provided a solid foundation that allowed her to hit the ground running when she started her internship.
As Bricker moves forward, she carries with her not just new skills and knowledge, but also a place in the Leadership Crawford County program. “This internship has opened doors and provided insights that will undoubtedly help in my future career path.”
Shaner says the internship proved valuable not just for Bricker, but for the CCDA as well. “Until you have dedicated time to an internship program, the impact is difficult to understand and measure. I enjoyed fun times and difficult times with someone much younger, over 40 years younger, than me. I was challenged to see the workplace through a different lens, that challenge is important to the intern and mentor, when we forget others' perspectives, we lose the ability to help others and grow our organization. Providing that perspective is, in my opinion, one of the main reasons we do internships and how they can be effective in our community.”
She says that she already misses having Bricker in the office and she’s looking forward to her next opportunity to have an intern work with her.
Bricker offered advice to other students considering internships, “If the opportunity comes take it because you never know what you might learn.”
