Time to Say Goodbye to the Spring Interns!

Vale: a graduate of Marquette University and Client Relations Assistant at FOCUS Training. She has traveled to 12 countries and even attended Michael Jackson’s funeral.

“I have loved experiencing this journey along with interns, comparing how their experiences were similar or different to my own when I was an intern. On orientation day I was introducing everyone to the different programs they would be using and I could see the confusion on everyone’s faces as they started the learning process. I just kept saying, “Later on you will understand it, I promise!”

After awhile, once you all began to understand the company, they started moving forward independently with their work in ways they knew would help FOCUS grow.

For example, Alexis came to me, frustrated with MailChimp, tired of replicating old email blasts; she wanted to change things up. I watched her start to ask Latrell and Lyndsey what content they could provide and begin incorporating it into her campaigns. She wanted to challenge herself from the simple replicating and so she began writing the blasts herself, which paid off when we started receiving multiple requests for proposals in response to our workbook email blast.

And again I saw growth as I watched Nathalie start out on her task of making workbook sales calls, nervous and timid. She stepped outside of her comfort zone and eventually became confident in the work she was doing. This trend I saw in everyone: the ability to take on challenges with a positive attitude, coming out of the experiences having learned and grown from them.

It just makes me so excited to see all of the effort the interns have put into their semester, to make it more meaningful for them. I truly cannot wait to see what all of the interns do in the future and watch them succeed!”

Thoughts from the Interns

Vince: a graduate of Marquette University, will be staying in Milwaukee on the search for a video production job. He hopes to attend attend graduate school for a Masters in Film in either California or Beijing.

“I have had fun just hanging out with Alexis in our own little office and playing music and telling jokes. I love revealing a video to Todd and the team and getting positive feedback. It’s so exciting when the video is all done and we can upload it.

Todd’s “magic dad hands” have helped me solve quite a few video problems. I don’t understand it, but he can always the fix the problems on the computer that I cannot. He says its just because he’s a dad, so he has special powers.

And finally, I really enjoyed getting to know Vale and talking about China with her. She has traveled many places in the world and all of her stories have been so exciting. It was nice talking about the country where I am from with someone who has been there, as well as another non-American.”

Nathalie: a graduate of Marquette University, hopes to stay in the Midwest after graduation but she’s open to wherever life take her! She will be staying on at FOCUS Training through the summer. She is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania but loves Wisconsin because of the wonderful selections of cheese.

“As the semester comes to a close, and as a senior approaching graduation, I can’t help but to reflect on what I have experienced during the past four years (let alone this past semester). This semester has been one of the best, and FOCUS has been a big reason why that is so.

I learned how important it is to feel a part of something bigger. My co-workers and co-interns make me feel valued in the work I do, and as an individual. I am rewarded for the work I do, and encouraged in times of frustration. Not only have I grown as an individual and young professional, but I’ve watched my fellow interns do the same.

We’ve been pushed to give spur of the moment speeches, mock interviews, and ice-breaker confessions, but doing those things only taught us to give each moment our best. Wherever life takes me next, I will take a piece of FOCUS with me, and can only hope that I will be able to work for a company as great as this one.”

Alexis: a senior, will be working in the College of Education at Marquette University and continuing her internship with FOCUS Training here in Milwaukee. She will also be applying to graduate school this summer in hopes to start work on earning a Master’s in Corporate Communications.

“The most memorable experience I have had at FOCUS is the day we filmed our Intern video and played Knock Out at our Intern meeting as a warm-up activity. Fridays are always the best days because all of the other Interns are the office and everyone is excited for the weekend.

Curt decided to have us play Knock Out since we have a basketball hoop mounted on the ceiling. Unfortunately, Curt was the only male intern we had that day and he didn’t realize how awful this group of girls would be at basketball. The game went on for awhile, with everyone chasing after the ball. It was chaos. I stayed in for awhile but Curt eventually ended up winning the game.

As for the Intern video, it ended up being hilarious because of our awkward group. We talked about our spirit animals and struck some weird poses, but one thing was certain, we were having fun! The video helped us know the other interns a little better as well as the FOCUS employees.”

Nora: a graduate of UW-Whitewater, will be staying in Milwaukee looking for a job in Marketing. She hopes to get out of the Wisconsin cold in her future job, open to a job just about anywhere!

“The intern games we played were the best. I played Foosball against Todd and even though I had Vale on my team, he always won. Todd is just too good at that game. Part of the fun is knowing you can’t beat him but trying anyway!

I also enjoyed my time shadowing Matt on a job at Niles West High School in Illinois. We went to the school for their Ignition Synergize, where we help prepare mentors to work with freshmen in the incoming school year. It was fun to be back in high school again and see how excited the kids all were.”

Curt: a senior, will be working this summer at the PGA Championship in Springfield, New Jersey as a Merchandising Operations Intern. His twin brother will be joining him, so it’s a family affair. He’s a big fan of golf and being 20 minutes from New York City will make for a great experience.

“From conversions about Prince and Beyoncé, to countless hours sitting next to space heaters, my semester interning at FOCUS Training was a blast. I’ll forever remember the passion and energy in each member, and their love for coffee.

FOCUS taught me to stay open-minded about everything, and that persistence pays off. The different talents and personalities of the FOCUS family mesh perfectly, and I hope to one-day work for a company with a similar culture to FOCUS Training. If I ever decide to swim with sharks or become a knight, I’ll be sure to hire Matt to make some chainmail. Thanks for the great memories!”