Hoyt Hoelper is currently completing a yearlong internship with Wolfcraft, a leading manufacturer of innovative tools that helped establish the do-it-yourself (DIY) industry in Germany. Hoelper is a dual major in German and industrial and manufacturing engineering and plans to graduate in 2021.
During his year with Wolfcraft, Hoelper will gain experience across the entire firm. Hoelper began the internship in the eCommerce department where he was a content manager for Wolfcraft product pages on the company’s website. As the firm’s English specialist, he also checks documents and contracts, and occasionally provides translation services for the company. In October, Hoelper moved over to the procurement department where he had the experience of going to Wolfcraft’s production facility in Slovakia to assist engineering consultants. Beginning in January 2019, Hoelper will transfer to the marketing and product development department where he will spend a month in the Madrid office working with the Spanish sales team.
Hoelper received funding from the Career Enrichment Network in the College of the Liberal Arts, which was instrumental in helping him with expenses involved with gaining residency in Europe, as well as day-to-day expenses while in Germany. The enrichment funds allowed Hoelper to pay for his co-op credits, since he is currently not enrolled in school and was unable to receive financial aid. Hoelper tells other students “to do their best to secure an international experience and make use of the resources so generously provided by the Career Enrichment Network.”
“Gaining work experience while still in college has given me lots of insight into how I want to direct my career, and doing an international one has been a really interesting cultural experience, as well,” said Hoelper. “Exploring different aspects of what makes a company tick has enlightened me to the fields that I am truly interested in.”
After graduation, Hoelper’s goal is to find an engineering position in the consulting field that will allow him to travel. Hoelper also hopes to further his education in Europe after working for a few years. The internship with Wolfcraft has been beneficial for Hoelper’s future career goals, as the international work experience shows companies that he has the “fortitude to relocate and that he excels in a position in a foreign country.”
If you’d like to support liberal arts students like Hoelper pursue study abroad, internships, research, and other enrichment experiences, visit the College of the Liberal Arts’ Giving Tuesday page (http://c-fund.us/hgn) and give to the Liberal Arts Edge Fund on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Graduates of the last decade can double their impact because the University will match their gifts up to $100 on Giving Tuesday.