Michael Wims ’13 had a mini-crisis his sophomore year after switching to a sport management major. During his first class, the instructor told students that if they didn’t want to work long hours for low wages, leave now. Mike was the only one who left class.
Mike called his mom to ask her what his skills were, apart from basketball. (Mike was recruited to play at LC and is in his fourth year on the team.) She reminded him that he is people-oriented and good at talking. Now a communications major with an emphasis in public relations, Mike said a summer internship convinced him he made a good choice of majors.
Mike worked for SRA (Society of Research Administrators) International, a small firm in Falls Church, Virginia, which serves research administrators around the world in universities, hospitals, nonprofits, the government, and for-profit companies.
“I learned a lot,” Mike said. “Proofreading is key in everything. If you make a mistake there, there’s no coming back.”
Mike said he found out about the internship from Dr. Jimmy Roux, associate professor of communication studies, and was interviewed by an LC alumna, Jennifer Gauvin ’06. “I lucked out and got the internship,” he said, noting that faculty help and the alumni connection were critical.
A resident of Manassas, Virginia, Mike had an easy commute to his internship, where he did social media and wrote press releases. He said he would highly recommend SRA International to other students wanting a summer internship. “If you don’t have one, you’re definitely at a disadvantage,” he said.