Marketing major and information systems minor Joan Sojka has had several internships during her time at UIndy, including stints with the Indiana Fever, a supply chain company in Cincinnati and the Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.

At the supply chain company, Joan found out that what she learned in class really is used in businesses. "As a training intern, I used skills that I never thought I would apply, like Visio and Google Adwords. All of this really impressed my boss."

With the Super Bowl Host Committee, Joan became the resident expert for the "Super Scarves" program, and actually had the chance to revamp the processing system for the program, making it more efficient

Joan says that her preparation at UIndy was invaluable. "All the computer skills I learned from my computer information systems classes helped a lot. I know it was my experience with the software that helped get me my internship with the Super Bowl Host Committee. Having this on my resume really stands out to employers, and it's gotten me a lot of good opportunities as far as jobs go. I made a ton of good connections while I was there."

Joey came to UIndy to study accounting and ended up taking advantage of the five-year MBA program. During that time, he had several internships, including two summers at Allison Transmission, and got to travel to Europe with the MBA program.

"Internships let you practice your skills and provide excellent networking opportunities. The importance of internships is stressed at UIndy, since it's a school that prepares you for your future," he says.

After finishing his bachelor's degree in accounting and wrapping up his MBA in finance, Joey got a job with the Department of Defense.

"The fact that we did so much work in teams in the classroom really prepared me for real-life work. I'm on a team of auditors at my job, and if you're not a team player, you don't survive. But UIndy prepared me for that, and I'd recommend my school to anyone."

Alyssa Brown, a business administration major, is becoming a master of hospitality after working at Indy's classy Conrad Hotel--and at a Disney World resort. She plans to manage a resort one day.

"I began as an intern at the Conrad in the housekeeping department, organizing inventory, scheduling the housekeeping crew and sitting in on counseling sessions on attendants' room performance."

After her internship, she came back as a Guest Service Agent--then snagged a spot in Disney's College Program at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort in Florida.

"It was the greatest experience of my life!" she says. "The benefits of working for Disney were astronomical, and I met some of the most amazing people."