UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Devin McGinn, a junior in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), credits her recent internship at The Hershey Company with preparing her for a future career and for opening doors, both personally and professionally.
After finding the opportunity on glassdoor.com and interviewing with a team from the internal audit department, where she worked during her time with the company, McGinn felt like a Hershey internship was a good fit for her needs. McGinn chose the company, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America, because of its proximity to her home, she said, and because of Hershey’s dedication to social responsibility.
“I am heavily involved with a couple of charities at Penn State, and I knew I wanted to work for a company that held those same values,” said McGinn. “The Hershey Company is a large organization with strong values that they’ve espoused since the beginning.”
In addition to her daily areas of focus in data privacy and protection, identity and access management, evaluating business risks, and testing the effectiveness of internal controls, McGinn learned how a Fortune 500 company as large as Hershey operates, and what it takes to be successful in such an environment.
“My managers used the term ‘take the training wheels off,’ and it meant a lot to me that they trusted me with taking the reins and leading meetings, because it has helped me trust myself more in these types of situations,” McGinn said. “I can’t thank the people in my department enough for making me feel like part of the team from day one. I knew I could go to anyone with a question and they would stop what they were doing to help me.”
McGinn worked closely during her internship with two other interns, as well as staff from different departments at Hershey, helping her learn about company operations from a variety of perspectives, an opportunity that she said “enhanced her classroom experience” and gave her “real-world experience.”
“I got to work closely with accomplished young professionals with whom I have learned a lot. It has also given me a chance to network and gain contacts and job opportunities,” she said. “Having an internship has helped me grow up and given me a little taste of what my life will be like after graduation.”
As for what McGinn plans to do after college, she feels she has a better idea now that she’s completed an internship. “It’s given me a new perspective on what I’d like to do in my future career.”