enFocus Interns Lean on Existing Skills While Developing New Ones

enFocus interns come to the South Bend - Elkhart Region from all across the globe–but that’s not the only thing that makes them unique. Our interns also bring very different skills and perspectives–qualities that position them to bring novel and creative insights to enFocus projects that drive tangible impact in the community. In turn, these projects help interns develop new skills that will serve them in their future careers (and that could ultimately lead them back to enFocus as Fellows!).

This summer, enFocus interns are contributing to nearly 25 innovation and entrepreneurship projects across the region in areas including Elkhart, Marshall, and St. Joseph counties in Indiana, as well as nearby counties in Southwest Michigan. Prior to the internship, each intern reviews the available projects and ranks their preferences, allowing enFocus to match assignments to intern skill sets and career goals.

Nicole Fry, who majors in communications and sociology at Hanover College, previously worked to establish a food pantry in Madison, IN. Now, she’s able to apply what she’s learned to outline enFocus’ expansion into Southwest Michigan. “I've had past experience in program coordination and management on a much smaller scale. I can't express how exciting it is to be using similar skills on a much larger platform–and on initiatives that will sustain long after my internship ends.”

Benjamin Erhardt, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Notre Dame, has been tasked with outlining the needs for an automation facility designed to support the growth of manufacturers to industry 4.0 in Elkhart and Marshall Counties. Benjamin feels as though “enFocus’ community-focused project work aligns with [his] broad academic and career interests in engineering and public service.” So far, he’s been able to deploy and improve “both technical and soft skills to meet the needs of various stakeholders”--a process which has provided him with “an opportunity to discern possible career paths [he] could take in the years ahead.”

Sam Pavlekovsky, who studies computational analysis and public policy as a graduate student at the University of Chicago, is researching the feasibility of vanpool services as a means to address transportation insecurity in South Bend. His coursework has informed his ability to establish effective research methods geared toward social equity–but the framework of his project has opened his eyes to the practical applications of these teachings in public-private partnerships: “so far, I have experienced project management on multiple levels--from the very beginning stages of describing a project to strategies for vision planning and mid-point program assessment.”

Throughout the summer, interns benefit from multiple opportunities to present insights like these, as well as their project progress, to both internal and external stakeholders. Interns work directly with influential community leaders, so these presentations help interns build confidence in public speaking–a skill that each intern will invariably utilize in their remaining coursework and in their careers.

Two weeks ago, the interns gave their mid-internship presentations to the enFocus team. Now, their focus shifts to what they can accomplish over the final four weeks–and how that work can make a real difference in the South Bend - Elkhart Region.