The Relentless Determination of Holy Cross’ Erin Carpenter
Taking on a professional internship is daunting enough for a college junior, but the pressure is no doubt magnified knowing that your intern predecessors left mighty large shoes to fill. Now imagine that one of those previous interns came back after graduation and was working at your sponsor company full time…and oversaw the internship program. Well, that was the scenario that Erin Carpenter (Holy Cross, class of 2011) took on this summer. Let’s just say, Erin isn’t easily intimidated.
Today is Erin’s last day as our summer intern. We are truly sorry to see her go.
For several years now, all our interns have come to us through an innovative program sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross. The school’s alumni association provides each intern with a stipend to enable students to pursue internship opportunities that intrigue them intellectually rather than just tempt them financially. Participating companies must have a Holy Cross alumnae on board and pledge to provide a truly meaningful learning experience that goes beyond the usual filing, photocopying and fetching. The program has introduced us to an amazingly talented group of Holy Cross students including Lauren Olney, who interned with us last year and joined us full-time after graduating in June. Others we’ve worked with have been equally talented and impressive (see here, and here.)
We knew that Erin was cast from the same mold when she showed up for work on her first day having already read the Wall Street Journal on her Kindle. Actually, no – it was earlier than that. To apply for the internship, candidates must submit a cover letter and three writing samples with their resume. My colleague Jackie — who has the keenest eye for even the teensiest of errors — deemed Erin’s written correspondence flawless.
As might be expected of a woman who voluntarily took a class at Oxford in Italian Renaissance Art despite having absolutely no background in that area of study, Erin relishes a good challenge. She didn’t flinch when assigned to research the fundamentals of an esoteric Wall Street trading strategy and soon after she was up to her elbows in research for a healthcare initiative. Erin also provided invaluable assistance putting together a timeline for a litigation support project. No filing, photocopying or fetching for her!
Underscoring Erin’s work ethic and commitment, she asked to attend some meetings with various charities she had identified as worthy of support by one of S&A’s clients, even though they started well beyond her scheduled hours and were held on one of those brutally hot days we had this season. Charitable and non-profit work are truly one of Erin’s passions; she spent three summers working as a counselor at a camp for children with Autism, Turrets, ADHD, and other anxiety orders. She also has considerable experience tending to exotic animals (a skill-set that will no doubt come in handy dealing with some members of the media). At Oxford, Erin participated in a program to assist international students with personal and emotional issues.
Erin is the consummate team player. She delights in working as part of a group and never once sought special acknowledgment for her formidable contributions. Erin also doesn’t have much of an ego; one day on her own initiative she opted to clean out the company fridge. Trust me, no alumni association in the world offers a stipend large enough to tackle that nasty task!
Erin continued to impress us even when we took her out for drinks to thank her for her hard work. We learned she has an appreciation for Oban single malt scotch, although a purist would question the appropriateness of her adding ice cubes. Nevertheless, Don Draper would be proud.
Some people see the proverbial glass as being half full, while others see it as half empty. Erin approaches life with an energy and zeal the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. She is a credit to Holy Cross and another example of the impressive discipline and humility the college instills in its students. Though she worked with us for only 10 weeks, she will be long remembered and greatly missed.
Erin, best of luck in your senior year! Care to turn off the lights on your way out for old times’ sake?
To learn about Erin’s S&A experiences and her astute observations about public relations, read here, here, and here.