It started with a required course. It ended with a National Best Intern Award.
SJC Long Island junior Gabrielle Macagnone signed up for Internship in Business (BUS 362) – a mandatory course for business administration majors – during her sophomore year at St. Joseph’s. While most students usually find their internship positions through the College, Macagnone found her own – at Chanel.
“It was such an honor being accepted into such a prestigious program,” she said. “Knowing I was capable of doing that was a confidence booster.”
Not only did she get accepted on her own after applying through Chanel’s online forum, but she excelled during her time there – so much so that she was named 2017’s National Best Intern for Operations and Finances by website Way Up.
“I’ve been interning since I was 16, and now I am 20,” said the Northport native. “So four years of interning have been great education. I wanted to intern again to gain knowledge of the fashion industry and try something new.”
But four years of experience doesn’t make her immune to the struggles of starting over somewhere new.
“Knowing your place as an intern is very hard to figure out,” Macagnone said. “Sometimes, it can be awkward and uncomfortable, especially if you have leadership qualities. Once you get comfortable in your internship, it’s much easier to understand your place. But, to get comfortable you must try things that can be scary, like contributing to a conversation with colleagues in higher positions.”
There is nothing like a high-impact real life experiential internship to get to know what you do or don’t want to do in the real world.”
Despite the challenges, Macagnone recommends all students complete at least one internship, whether it’s required for their major or not. “Interning is the best thing to do as a young college student,” she said. “It helps you find an industry that you enjoy.”
“There is nothing like a high-impact real life experiential internship to get to know what you do and don’t want to do in the real world,” added Eileen Jahn, Ph.D., chair of business administration and marketing at SJC and Macagnone’s professor for BUS 362.
In addition to her internships, SJC has also played an important role in Macagnone’s steps to attaining her dream job in strategic planning and finance, she said.
“St. Joseph’s College is an amazing school for my major. The opportunities are endless and the professors are amazing,” she said. “Dr. Jahn is a great professor who gave me the tools to be successful during my internship. St. Joe’s is a great school to be able to mold yourself into the person you want to be for the rest of your life.”
