July 1, 2024
Columbia College boasts a 97% success rate of graduates being hired or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. As part of this increasingly important statistic, the stories of just three of these students within the Division of Business, Leadership, and Communication are highlighted as examples of students who secured full-time positions prior to their own graduations. After completing his internship, Behavioral Science, Business Administration, and Psychology graduate, Kell Evans ’24 accepted a position as a Service and Floor Manager at RPM Euro, a local Columbia automotive service specializing in import and exotic car services and upgrades. In his role, he will manage service, in-shop organization, payroll, and even serve as a technician for higher-end cars like Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Mercedes, AMGs, and many others. Business Administration graduate NeKyra Thomas ‘24 accepted a position with Colonial Life, where she completed an internship during her time as a student! Finally, Business Administration graduate Josie Vega ‘24 completed her spring internship and accepted a full-time position as the Marketing Sales Coordinator at Springhill Suites by Marriott following graduation. In each of these cases, the students were offered full-time positions upon graduation after they completed their internships within these companies.
Studies indicate that approximately 70% of interns receive job offers from their internship providers (Jendriks, 2024). In the United States, about 300,000 people engage in internships each year. Upon graduation, former interns tend to earn 6% more than students who have not gained internship experience, and they are 35% more likely to have at least one job offer to consider upon graduation (Jendriks, 2024).
“We love to see our students succeed, and not only do we often assist them with finding and securing the right internship, we help prepare them and check in with them regularly along the way,“ says Dr. Carole Sox, Business Program Chair. Dr. Cornell Sneed, Assistant Professor of Business, is currently working with our interns, and he continuously provides valuable guidance and insight to our students. They are in great hands from beginning to end as they work with their faculty advisor, internship advisor, and on-site advisor.
While it is Columbia College’s aim to ensure that students enjoy their time on campus, the ultimate goal of the institution is to prepare each student both personally and professionally for success in their lives after graduation. Sharing in the successes of each and every student serves as a reminder of the commitment and dedication of faculty and staff that pour into our students daily. Congratulations, Koalas! Kudos, Division of Business, Leadership, and Communication. We love watching your students soar!
If you are seeking a business intern and/or would like to discuss how our internship program works, please contact Dr. Carole Sox, Chair, Undergraduate Business Program at csox@columbiasc.edu or Dr. Cornell Sneed, Assistant Professor of Business, at csneed@columbiasc.edu.
References
Jendriks, T. (2024). 105 Internship statistics: Pay, intern employment, and demographics. Flair HR. https://flair.hr/en/blog/internship-statistics/