August 12th, 2018

Ten weeks ago, I never would’ve thought I could read charts of data. I was honestly terrified of that. I didn’t think I could craft ideas and present in front of management. I couldn’t picture myself as a young professional in a corporate office.
I came to Milwaukee as an inexperienced college student. With only one internship and no retail knowledge under my belt, I thought I was setting myself up for failure. But as I learned later on, sometimes failure is when you learn the most.
The moment I walked in the door on June 4th, I felt at home. Every intern and employee was so friendly and excited for the upcoming summer, and I felt like I fit right in with the people, culture and industry. As I formed new friendships and heard from so many other associates, I realized that I have so much more in common with my superiors, fellow interns, and even executives.
Those bonds grew stronger with interns as we explored a new city together. And eating lunch with my team every day only makes me miss them more now that I’m gone. I loved walking through a building of over 5,000 people and knowing so many friendly faces.
I also learned more than I ever thought possible. I’ll admit, I underestimated this role. I thought the job required mostly fashion knowledge, however, I quickly learned that data analysis and business acumen accounted for most of the tasks. I walked through the door each day (wearing a totally cute outfit) and was so excited to learn something new. To meet someone new. To receive guidance and support from every single person around me. It was a fun, collaborative environment to be a part of, and again, I find myself already missing it.
Although this was the best summer I’ve ever had, it also ended with the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make: will I accept an offer?
The answer is no.
Well, kind of.
I thought long and hard about the experiences that shaped me into a much more professional and confident woman. And while I am still so grateful for it all, deep down I know that I want to explore options in the marketing field. The most difficult part was telling my team this very sad news, but luckily, they were extremely supportive. I hope there’s a marketing position open for me in a few months, but for now, I’m not going to think about the future. I am still SO happy, and I won’t spoil it with worry.
For those of you that want to take a risk but don’t know how, I want you to know that you should just go for it. I wasn’t sure about Kohl’s before I came to Milwaukee, but I wouldn’t trade the past 10 weeks for the world. I took a risk when I didn’t have a good gut feeling about the role, and I took another risk when I turned down an absolutely incredible offer.
And for those of you that want to work in retail, merchandising, or work for Kohl’s, then I DEFINITELY say go for it!
Now, I’m not going to cry after I post this last article, but I will definitely have a piece of my heart missing. I left it in Milwaukee, and one day I’ll be back to get it.


