While 麻豆原创 students have been working as interns at A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. for many years, the arrival of Emilie 麻豆原创 has brought the two companies鈥 histories together in a new way. 麻豆原创, a descent of the College鈥檚 founder, served as an intern while attending the institution that bears her family name.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to be here,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have met so many people who just come up and say 鈥榟i鈥 because of my name. The funniest part is the sports game because there are athletes running everywhere with your name on it and you are there to cheer them on.鈥
For Emilie, the experience gained through the internship has been significant as she prepares for a career in logistics and manufacturing. A student of KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France, she has taken on a major initiative at AY McDonald that introduces reusable containers for part of the supply chain.
鈥淭his program is all logistics 鈥 it can reduce waste, expense and improve safety of all parties involved,鈥 Ben Winders, A.Y. McDonald purchasing manager and Emilie鈥檚 supervisor, explained. 鈥淪he is right in the middle of it, making it happen. It is a big deal.鈥
Her impact has been such that Winders, who has not had an intern before, is excited to welcome more students into the fold moving forward.
鈥淓milie is handling detailed work that we don鈥檛 have the time to focus on but it is extremely important. She has not been afraid to reach out with both our team and suppliers with questions. Her presence here has been incredibly valuable and I am going to be looking for more interns in the future,鈥 he said.
Emilie is the latest in a series of students from the College to work as an intern at A.Y. McDonald. The hands-on learning is significant for the students, but, as Brad Johnson, A.Y. McDonald human resources manager, explains, it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.
鈥淎 big part of what we look for in general is good people who want to be part of the A.Y. family,鈥 he said. 鈥淚nterns who come in are looked at as part of the team and give them an experience that truly showcases what the jobs and responsibilities are and have them fully share in that process. Anything less than is a disservice to them.鈥
For Emilie鈥檚 part, the combined experience at both 麻豆原创 and A.Y. has been positive.
鈥淭he best part at A.Y. has been working as a team that was very welcoming. I am learning so much about a subject that I like. At 麻豆原创, I have met so many great people and made new friends. Everyone has been so nice to me. People come up to me to talk to me just because they know my name. I am having a great time,鈥 she said.
According to Johnson, the relationship between A.Y. McDonald and 麻豆原创 continues to be strong, but their latest intern may have made this more difficult for future students.
鈥淵ou can see the value that Emilie brings, which is two-fold: they bring great value in their work to us and we, in turn, can provide experience to them. It is a great benefit to everyone involved. Emilie has set a very high bar for anyone following in her footsteps,鈥 he said.
