The goal of the Cambridge Economic
Development (ED) Board's internship-grant program is to help educate youth at
local jobs, encouraging them to stay in Cambridge or return here to work
after college. The program connects high-school and college students with
local employers, providing a unique opportunity for the students to gain
valuable business experience and begin developing into tomorrow’s
leaders. This summer, four local businesses took advantage of the ED internship-grant
program. (*Please note – ED grant funds were used for one Twin Valleys
Public Power District intern. TVPPD funded the other.)
Paul
McConville - Pinpoint
Paul worked
for Pinpoint in the IT field with the hopes of building his resume to help him
get a foot in the door to bigger business. He was chosen for the internship
because he grew up on a farm and wasn’t afraid to work on the given tasks. Paul
believes it is important for businesses in Cambridge to offer these types of
opportunities to young people because it helps the intern learn what they are
getting into and build an impressive resume.
Matt Pearson – Twin Valleys Public
Power District
Matt
entered the summer internship following his education from Northeast Community
College and believes this internship will help him by preparing him for the
future workforce. “I really appreciated their patience and willingness to teach,”
Matt said. “I learned something valuable from everyone I worked with.” Matt believes
the internship opportunities available show young people that there are careers
like this in small towns. “Getting to work at Twin Valleys and actually getting
to do the work has given me the confidence and skills I need to prepare me for
the workforce. I am very thankful for this opportunity,” he concluded.
Wyatt Fiene – Twin Valleys Public
Power District
Throughout the summer, Wyatt got to see
a wide variety of what the daily life of a lineman is like, from working with
sub-transmission, wiring up transformers, building line, terminating
underground, storm work and even working on converting a town from 2400 to
7200. He believes this internship helped tie everything together that he learned
in school. “I was fortunate enough to work with two different crews to see how
different methods can get the same results, because everyone has their own way
of doing things,” Wyatt said. “It is all about how you are most comfortable at
a safe, efficient pace.”
Bria Tomlin – Tri Valley Health
System (TVHS)
Bria served as an intern at Tri Valley
in the pharmacy department. During her time at TVHS, she gained her Pharmacy
Technician certificate along with many other valuable skills to propel her forward
such as experience with Pyxis and Meditech. She also gained a new interest for
compounding medications in the hood. “Amongst the many pharmaceutical skills I
have gained, I also am taking away skills that are imperative to any job
setting,” Bria said. “This experience has not only driven my passion toward my
desired career path of pharmacy but has made me feel even more certain in my
dreams to come back to rural areas in Nebraska to serve as a pharmacist in the
near future.”
Jenna Ebbers – Valley Voice
(previously Cambridge Clarion)
Before Jenna entered UNL as a journalism
major, she was able to take a deep dive into experiences and opportunities for
what she hopes to do for the rest of her life. She had the opportunity to write
feature stories for both the Clarion and Oxford Standard, cover city council
meetings, enhance her photography skills and gain experience in design and
layout. “To list all the things this summer internship has taught me would be
endless,” Jenna said. “It has definitely shown me that I’m in the right line of
work and that journalism is the path I want to pursue.”
Good luck to all of the interns in your
future endeavors! If you are a Cambridge business interested in the
internship-grant program, contact [email protected].