Thanks to the generosity of Morris Hospital, a kick off breakfast was held June 5th to formally recognize and congratulate the 25 students selected for the 2015 Grundy County Internship Program. Nancy Ammer, CEO of the GEDC opened the event by thanking the businesses, students, and educators in attendance. Senator Rezin emphasized that the students should take pride in being chosen for this opportunity, and that the internships offer a chance to gain meaningful professional work experience and learn more about the many different employment options within Grundy County.
Lance Copes, Director of Grundy Area Vocational Center, and Mark Steadham, CEO & President of Morris Hospital also addressed the students and discussed the benefits and opportunities that will be afforded to them as part of this program. Copes challenged students to take advantage of the opportunity, while Steadham addressed the value of the program to local business.
The 25 paid internships this year are with 10 different companies, offering a diverse set of opportunities for local students. The program began in 2013 with just 12 internships and 3 companies. The increased opportunities and visibility of the program also brought more competition for the available spots, as 419 applications were received for the 25 open positions.
The Grundy County Internship Program was based on a mutual desire expressed by leaders in education and industry to highlight local employment opportunities and retain local talent in Grundy County. Senator Rezin and the GEDC partnered with local industry and education to launch the program in 2013.
To provide the students with an authentic experience, job descriptions outlining the skills and criteria for each position were posted at Coal City, Gardner, Minooka and Morris High Schools. Students then applied for positions they were interested in by submitting a resume. Companies scheduled and conducted interviews with candidates and extended offers to their interns in late spring.
The 2015 Grundy County summer interns are:
Aux Sable LP:
Jackson Riley, Engineering
Alexa Zito, Accounting
Nathan Downey, Information Technology
Kyle Robinson, Government & Public Affairs
LyondellBasell
Josie Hyslop, Accounting
Ryan Meeker, Information Technology
Ryan Elliot, Plant Projects
Molly Schultz, Reliability
Bridget Gile, Turnaround
Jordyn Bell, Warehouse
Metalstamp
Seth Patterson, Machinist
Morris Hospital
Mallory Meyer, Human Resources
Lauren Daniels, Information Technology
Jana Capko, Administration
Jessica Webber, Wellness/Education
Kevin Wilson, Engineering/Facilities/Maintenance
Mitchell DeGraaf, Engineering/Facilities/Maintenance
Rezin Orthopedics
Riley Aukland, Information Technology
SPACECO Engineering
Nathan Guth, Engineering
Standard Bank
Amanda Villarreal, Customer Service
US Cold Storage
Shannon Norton, Human Resources
Jonathan Schildgen Moore, Supply Chain
Margaret Bauer, Supply Chain
Utility Concrete
Hailey Hoaglund, Asst. Project Engineer
Joseph Wiegmann, Quality Control