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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A number of Lehigh field hockey student-athletes took advantage of the summer months to complete internships and experiences related to their majors and career interests.
Learn all about them, below!
Sarah Bonthuis
Major at Lehigh: Marketing
Company: Nakatori B.V
Title: E-commerce, digital marketing, consulting and social media internal
In Sarah’s Words:
Nakatori is a full-service digital agency and Shopify Expert from Amsterdam. The company designs and builds exceptional e-commerce experiences on the Shopify platforms. At my internship, I worked on both the communication side as well as the practical side. From a marketing perspective, I looked at different numbers, stats and analyzed how well certain products were doing and why that was the case. I also worked on creating email marketing campaigns and client relations. I was also fully in charge of all of their social media campaigns (Instagram and LinkedIn) and helped create videos to spread on the platforms.
The second part was the consultancy part. For the consultancy part of the agency, I wrote different pieces for the municipality of Amsterdam, Amersfoort, and Utrecht on how to improve cultural influences within the population. I wrote and designed pieces that were distributed in the biggest airline company of the Netherlands.
And the most fun part! I was allowed to grab my bosses’ bikes and bike around Amsterdam to pick up packages and explore the city.
The internship was very diverse and my tasks changed on a daily basis. At times, this made it hard to have a grasp on everything that I was doing, but it definitely taught me to manage time, work hard and reach deadlines. One main takeaway I have is that it’s not wrong to ask certain questions. It makes you look engaged and it’s a great way of letting your bosses know that you’re working hard on your assignments.
Abbie Brown
Major at Lehigh: Biology
Company: St Luke’s University Health Network
Title: Summer PreMed Observer Program
In Abbie’s Words:
In this program, I was able to shadow Physicians of five different specialties: Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics and Orthopedics. The program lasted about six weeks, which allowed me to shadow for over 70 hours in total. Being able to interact with different Physicians as well as Physician Assistants, Medical Students, Residents, Nurses, etc. allowed me to ask questions and learn more about medicine than I would be able to by searching online or in my classes. Due to COVID, it has been extremely difficult to find opportunities to shadow Physicians the past two years, so I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience the St. Luke’s PreMed Observer Program. This program allowed me to learn not only more about the path to become a Physician and the responsibilities of a Physician, but also about the many crucial roles in medicine. Interacting with medical students and residents allowed me to gain valuable knowledge and advice that I can use these next couple of years as I begin the medical school application process.
Sophie Leighton
Major at Lehigh: Health, Medicine & Society
Company: WW/Weight Watchers
Title: Community Engagement Intern
In Sophie’s Words:
As the Community Engagement Intern, my goal was to create new groups and programs surrounding health and wellness to enhance the WW member community. I mainly utilized WW’s Connect platform, which is a social media platform focused on helping members develop and maintain sustainable healthy habits.
Through this experience, I learned how to translate my teamwork skills to a professional environment, by working closely with groups on several projects. I additionally developed an understanding of the components of a successful digital community, and ways to drive healthy behavior change.
Anna Piecuch
Major at Lehigh: Journalism
Company: The Institute for Family Health, launched by the Noor Al Hussein Foundation.
Title: Intern
In Anna’s words:
IFH is Jordan’s first women’s health counseling center and trauma management center. It has 26 branches in Syrian refugee camps and host communities regionally. My responsibilities at IFH have been overseeing individual counseling sessions, researching mental health needs of refugees as well as implementation of MH services, and assisting staff in the psychosocial unit of the clinic.
I have learned about the most significant clinical disorders faced by Syrian refugees and how they are treated by professional counselors in Jordan. I have visited Za’-Atari refugee camp, Jordan’s largest Syrian refugee settlement, and spoke to psychologists about treatments for refugees’ mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, OCD and PTSD. I also learned about how refugee communities in Jordan have a growing awareness about mental health services and family planning methods.
At my internship at IFH, refugee women from areas such as Yemen, Syria and South Sudan attend counseling in Amman. Psychologists at the clinic use discussion and behavioral therapy to change habits and help patients cognitively reframe their outlook of a situation so that they may use mental strategies to lead healthier lives.
MJ Schwab
Major at Lehigh: Biology
Company: Lehigh University Biological Science Department
Title: Undergraduate Researcher
In MJ’s Words:
This summer, I was able to work on Lehigh’s campus to do research under a professor to further my future career in medicine. I am currently studying specific birth defects in humans that alter brain, heart and limb development in babies. I use the model organism yeast to understand pathways and genes that are affecting these maladies that develop in the womb.
This opportunity has allowed me to become more familiar with lab techniques and more deeply understand the reasoning behind specific lab procedures. It has also validated my interests in the field of science and the importance of pursuing my career as a medical professional.
Cece Slaughter
Major at Lehigh: Philosophy and Political Science
Company: Stewart Watt & Co.
Title: Intern
In Cece’s words:
This summer, I interned at Stewart Watt & Co, a law firm based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Stewart Watt is a private client firm where I was able to work under talented supervisors learning about the everyday responsibilities of this area of law. My daily tasks included calling clients, updating case files and researching precedent cases to prepare reports for the partners of the firm. Over the course of the summer, I was able to develop my critical thinking skills through learning how to approach different cases depending on the variables involved. Additionally, I enhanced my organization skills as I had to balance staying on top of multiple cases at one time. Being able to learn and grow in my field of study was extremely transforming, but being able to do this abroad made it a life changing experience that I know I will be able to take with me for my future endeavors.
Eric Steele
Major at Lehigh: Supply Chain Management
Company: B. Braun
Title: Supply Chain Department
In Erica’s Words:
B. Braun is a medical company located here in Bethlehem. I worked in their supply chain department with the planners and buyers. My main responsibilities were placing purchase orders, updating delivery dates, creating open order reports to discuss with vendors and adjusting levels of safety stock and minimum lot size.
I have learned a lot from this opportunity such as what it looks like to work in supply chain on a day-to-day basis, how to use my leadership and communication skills effectively in the workplace, and how to manage my time better. I learned how often problem-solving skills come in handy. I have grown because I feel more confident knowing I have a good starting experience under myself moving forward and I know how to adapt and grow for the future.
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