MEDIA, Pa. — This May, Faith Lazarow will graduate from Penn State’s Brandywine campus, earning a four-year degree in business with a focus in finance. Thanks in part to an internship she landed through a Brandywine event, she’ll also graduate with a job.
During her degree program, Lazarow attended several networking events and internship fairs as part of the business program.
“Finding an internship was required for me to graduate,” said Lazarow. “They integrated it right into our coursework and taught us that gaining workplace experience is important.”
Lazarow found her internship through an alumni networking event on campus. She struck up a conversation with a Brandywine alumnus who eventually helped her set up a meeting with a recruiter from Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Philadelphia office. Lazarow went on to secure an internship with the company.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a global company that specializes in vehicle rentals and ride and car share programs.
“I had worked in retail and at restaurants before, but this internship has given me experience in the field I really love, which is business and finance,” she said.
At Enterprise, Lazarow is a management trainee intern, a role that includes underwriting contracts for customers, preparing rental cars, scheduling reservations and other tasks.
“No day is the same,” she said. “You think on your feet and do the best you can to make sure every customer is completely satisfied. You strive to make each part of your job an interaction, not a transaction.”
Lazarow’s internship also has given her many opportunities to practice the academic and interpersonal skills that she learned in her business courses at Brandywine.
“I have learned so much in college, but now I have gained a tangible, physical experience using my degree,” she said. “Soft skills have especially helped me at Enterprise — things like thoughtful communication and building rapport with your clients.”
Thanks to her internship and Penn State experience, Lazarow was recently able to secure a position with JP Morgan as an operations specialist. She starts this spring and will work in the Fortune 500 company’s asset and wealth management department.
“I couldn’t be more excited about pursuing a career in the financial industry and utilizing the focus of my studies at Penn State,” she said.
