‘Intern It Up’

The Union County Development Association began its third year of intern mentorship with a welcome dinner at A&G Restaurant Thursday. The program, called “Intern It Up,” aims to give young adults who are interning locally an opportunity to network with each other and community members and see more of Union County.

Mindy Stalker, with UCDA, said one of the goals of the UCDA is to encourage young professionals to live and work in Union County. This program is part of that effort because interns who have a connection to the area are more likely to return to Union County.

Stalker said the program encourages the interns to participate in community events beyond the seminars including Fridays After Five and the sequecentennial celebration.

“It’s a win when we see them at things like Party in the Park,” Stalker said.

The Program

Five sessions over the course of the summer introduce interns to UCDA board members and other prominent community members. The meetings consist of professional development opportunities with speakers and problem-solving activities. The events are held in a variety of settings to encourage interns to see more of Union County. Each event also includes a meal.

Stalker said this year’s topics focus on strength-based leadership styles and include tools to help interns succeed in business. One such tool is the principles of negotiations. These principles will serve interns both in getting and succeeding at future jobs.

Nine of the 11 interns attended the welcome dinner Thursday. Members of Work UC, a division of UCDA, and UCDA executive board members were there to meet with them. Stalker said as the season continues, the UCDA will invite other members of the community to the events.

This year’s Intern It Up participants are working at Bunn-O-Matic and Wellman Dynamics as engineers. In previous years, the interns have been employed by KSIB Radio, The Creston News Advertiser and Creston Automotive, as well.

Tyler Cluff, an Iowa State University student from Lockport, Illinois, said he hopes the intern program will help him meet new people and see the other interns in the area.

Craig Phillipp said he learned of the internship at Bunn-O-Matic during a career fair at ISU and has been working there since January. He said he appreciates the opportunity to network and meet people during the intern meetings.

Joe Grabau participated in the first year of the program and asked to return for the second year. Grabau continues to have ties to the friends he made in the community while interning at Bunn-O-matic.

Stalker said this is also a good opportunity to understand how Union County appears to those who are not from here. Seeking input from the interns allows the UCDA to get an “outsider’s view” of Union County to see what attracts them and what they are looking for.

To participate, interns must be enrolled at a post secondary institution and working as an intern in Union County or the surrounding areas during the summer. Employers can contact the UCDA at 641-782-2003 for more information.