Internship Success Stories

Graduation Date: Spring 2023

 

Internship Placement: Cleveland State University's Department of Residence Life

 

Todd Letlow worked as an intern for the CSU Department of Residence Life. Over the course of his internship, he was able to improve his communication skills and take on new projects. Read about his story:

 

I asked the Director of the department if they would be interested in hosting an intern. Since the staff members were all new, they were more than happy to bring me on to support the team.

 

I started on August 30th and my last day was December 15th.

 

I was asked to inspect all four of the Res Life properties; I inspected The Langston, The Edge, Fenn Tower, and Euclid Commons. I created a PowerPoint and a binder with my inspection sheets and all my recommendations.

 

One thing that stands out is how important college resident halls are to the overall school atmosphere and student engagement

 

I loved the amenities project I did. I am a very organized person and a tad bit of a control freak, so being given a project with so much freedom and alone time was great. I loved being able to give my honest opinion about what needed to be done in all the common spaces of the properties.

 

I improved my communication skills. I always knew that I needed to work on my communication skills. But through emails and voicemails, I never felt confident that I was explaining things thoroughly. During this internship, I communicated with students, coworkers, other departments, other properties, and my four bosses - so mastering communication was a must.

 

I learned that I love working in the property management field.

 

What surprised me the most was the gratification you get when you finish a project. I have never had a project for a job that was so independent. When I saved my PowerPoint for the last time and closed the binder, it was such an exciting feeling.

 

I am thankful for this experience because it made me less scared to graduate and start my career. I discovered that you are never fully done learning, so I don't have to fear the unknown after graduation.

 

My advice is don't be afraid to ask questions. Interns are supposed to get all they can from their experience.