Zacharia Alvarado ’23 — First, I want to thank Dr. Roy Kaplan and the Career Services office for finding me a fantastic internship with The Language Conservancy in Bloomington, IN. The position had me working as a Human Resources (HR) intern, but I did so much more than I had originally thought. My time at The Language Conservancy taught me a lot and gave me valuable experiences in just one month. For example, I learned the ins and outs of a modern office and how important each department of a company can be.
Initially, I was rewriting and updating the employee handbook and the current policies on various aspects of working from home. My supervisor then moved me around from each department which gave me a plethora of incredible experiences. For instance, I spent time in the Logistics Department organizing and triple-checking all records of shipments and item numbers and their prices. Logistics taught me the importance of record-keeping as there was too much information that needed to be organized, checked, and corrected. The Grant Department then picked me up to work on another project.
My role in the Grant Department was researching grants for Indigenous Canadians in Alberta to help them better afford The Language Conservancies’ learning materials, such as textbooks, posters, and CDs. I specifically searched for grants that helped fund adult education for Indigenous people. Reading and observing databases for opportunities was slow but necessary. If I was successful, the Ph.D. students at the company could reach out and write a proposal for a chance at the grant.
I then moved back into the HR Department. TLC grew from a small company to a medium-sized company, so various software needed to be updated, specifically QuickBooks. This software allowed them to monitor their records online. I found affordable software that could integrate with QuickBooks and make it easier for the HR Department to track every employee’s work hours and payroll. My time spent on the project on the project invited me to speak with the higher-up executives.
When I was in between projects, I continued to work on the employee handbook that included the new policies and revised outdated ones. Overall, the internship was an experience that all Wabash Men should undergo because it gives one real-world experience within a modern office that builds upon their professional skills. I recommend this internship to anyone who is willing to learn and grow professionally.
