Students earned experience and jobs in Mission EDC-UTRGV collaboration
MISSION, TX – May 31, 2018 —The Mission EDC’s first group of interns did exactly what they were meant to do over the last year at the CEED Building: gain experience, grow skills and get ready to transition into the professional world.
Of the four interns, one was hired by a national consulting firm in California, a second by a men’s fashion business in Dallas and a third student earned an internship with giant defense contractor in Washington DC. A fourth intern was a freshman and has continued his studies at UTRGV.
The students, stationed at different work areas around the Mission EDC based on their skill set, worked on cyber security issues, in a virtual computer lab, in facility management, marketing, social media management, event production, coding and assisted with numerous programs in the CEED Building. They were hired after interviewing for the positions that were posted.
“We could not have asked for a better set of interns. They were diligent, smart and skillful and came to work ready to make a difference every day,” said Mission EDC CEO Alex Meade. “It has been our intention to work with UTRGV to develop promising students based around our mission. They were a great help, they learned a lot, and we learned from them. We hope to continue with the program.”
The Mission EDC’s internship program is a collaboration with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with the goal of teaching students how their majors can play a role in the world of economic development – all the while earning a paycheck. The internship lasted near a year running from July through May.
Mission EDC partnered with UTRGV to create the internship program to introduce students to all the advanced projects being presented by the Mission EDC. Additionally, the students worked at the CEED, a dynamic co-working facility that has several small business startups, education organizations, large coworking spaces and is a center for innovative programs, several startups and education organizations.
Here’s what the upper-class students have moved on to:
- Jared Stephens was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton as a full-time senior cyber security consultant.
- Stephany Lopez will intern this summer with Ratheon for 10 weeks in the Intelligent Software and Systems Department in Washington DC. She will return to UTRGV for her senior year.
- Miriam Montelongo was hired as a full-time marketing specialist by The Hangar Project, located in the Dallas Fashion District.
- Jesus Sanchez was a freshman at UTRGV, and has returned to school as a full-time student.
For more information, contact Mission CEO Alex Meade at 956.585.0040 or ameade@missionedc.com
