A Hands-On Experience: Delilah Wilken, Caitlyn Parnell, and Zach Zokle's Internship at Greater Sandusky Partnership

Perkins High School seniors Delilah Wilken, Caitlyn Parnell, and Zach Zokle have been gaining valuable real-world experience through their internships at the Greater Sandusky Partnership (GSP). As part of their field site visits, they spend time each week at the GSP office, shadowing professionals and actively participating in projects that aim to enhance the greater Sandusky area, including downtown Sandusky.

"My purpose here is to act as an intern, and I really enjoy it. I have so much love for Sandusky, specifically the downtown region, so it is really cool to be a part of projects that are focusing on bettering the downtown scene," Delilah Wilken shared.

Before starting her internship, Delilah anticipated spending most of her time in the office. However, she was pleasantly surprised by the dynamic nature of her role. "At GSP, I was expecting to be in the office all day, but I am always going places with them. We walk around downtown a lot, and go into different businesses and meetings. It is very interesting and I love the busy atmosphere. I could see myself working in that environment."

One of the most memorable experiences for Delilah was visiting the new CP Historical Museum (inside the Merry-Go-Round Museum downtown) which opened this winter. "I loved meeting David Kaman and seeing his passion for his collection. He was so enthusiastic and it was really refreshing to see that kind of excitement in a person. I liked listening to him describe his collection and I cannot wait for the museum to open."

Marketing Sandusky Businesses

Caitlyn Parnell has also spent her first semester visiting GSP, where she has been mentored by Alissa Fisher in the field of marketing. "The main goal of my time spent with Alissa was to focus more on the marketing field instead of broad business. Last year I was in the business rotational, so I got to learn about all the different types of business like accounting, administration, hospitality, human resources, etc. I found out that I wanted to focus more on marketing because it was my favorite out of the rotational."

Before her visit, Caitlyn had no prior knowledge of GSP. "I did not know anything about GSP before visiting because it is a new organization, so I did not really know what to expect. I was in for a surprise because I only knew that they were a group partnership in Sandusky. My actual experience was different from what I could have expected because GSP is a little bit of everything. They are a big group with talented people in multiple fields and jobs. Everyone there is very intelligent and well-spoken, and I have enjoyed my time there just like I expected I would!"

A standout moment for Caitlyn was attending a meeting where state advocacies visited GSP. "GSP was showing all of the data and statistics about Sandusky and how good of a place it is to live. They had so many interesting data points like how the percentage of people 65 years and older has increased tremendously in Sandusky. They talked about Lake Erie, Cedar Point, Marblehead, etc. The state advocacies also made an effort to talk to me and inform me about their jobs. They also asked me about my future plans and were overall very welcoming to me listening in on their meeting."

Through her internship, Caitlyn has learned a great deal about marketing, especially through hands-on tasks. "Visiting GSP definitely helped me understand more about marketing and using social media to market a business as well. I got to use Canva a lot and create things for newsletters and GSP’s Facebook account. Learning one-on-one from Alissa and gaining her advice was a great experience and way to learn."

Helping startups and recruiting for the area 

Zach Zokle also spent his field experience interning at GSP, focusing on exploring different aspects of the business world in his community. "My main focus of my visit was to explore more of the business world in my community. During this visit, I also had a goal of trying to find a topic that interested me the most to major in college."

Before starting his internship, Zach expected a more passive learning experience but was surprised by how hands-on it turned out to be. "My initial expectation was that I was going to be taught about my field experience instead of getting hands-on experience. Compared to the actual experience, I was wrong. I have gotten hands-on experience that has greatly intrigued me in the work that GSP does."

One of the most significant moments for Zach was shadowing a meeting about helping a client kickstart their auto detailing business. "This moment has stood out to me the most because the GSP is doing the most to enhance the Sandusky area and help businesses thrive in the community."

Through his experience, Zach gained insight into the business world, particularly the process of building a job recruiting app for the Sandusky area. "I loved seeing the progress of the website being made and the successes and failures of the process."

For Delilah, the internship solidified her desire to stay in Sandusky. "At GSP, I realized I could work in Sandusky for the rest of my life. I love meeting the faces of downtown, and learning about expansionary projects. If they were to offer me a job, I would take it. I have been enjoying my time there so much, and I like the environment and the people." 
Caitlyn’s experience reaffirmed her decision to pursue marketing. "This field experience has proved to me that I really do enjoy marketing, especially social media marketing, and that I do want to major in it when I go to college."  

Zach’s experience confirmed his interest in business. "This experience has helped interest me even more to pursue a career in the business world and also to major in business in college."

David White from the GSP has also enjoyed working with the PHS students and helping them find their paths forward.  "Thank you for sharing your talented students with us.  It is an absolute pleasure to work with Perkins HS students in their internship program.  It is so critical to expose students to different opportunities in our region and Perkins High School’s Internship program is an innovative way to do just that."

Advice for future interns

Zach advises future students to be strategic in choosing their field site experience. "Go into a field site experience that interests you. This can help you decide if the field site experience that you go into could really be a future for you. It can also help you see if you really do enjoy the profession. If not, then you can save thousands of dollars of college money with a profession you didn’t even know that you weren’t interested in."

Delilah and Caitlyn echo the importance of keeping an open mind and making the most of the opportunity. Their experiences at GSP have provided them with invaluable glimpses into the professional world while deepening their appreciation for their hometown.