From Nike to Glossier, here's where some UNC students interned this summer

Internships are an integral part of the college experience and are often the first step in the post-graduation job search. This summer, students left Chapel Hill for Charlotte, New York City, Austin, Texas and Africa. The Daily Tar Heel asked students to share their experiences at the companies and organizations where they took their talents. 

Matthew Fedder, Nike

Senior business administration major

Fedder worked for Nike as a brand intern in Chicago. He was part of a plan to bring Chicago basketball back to its 1990s glory days through a Chicago Family Basketball Reunion, free basketball camps and the conversion of an old church to a training center.

“The coolest thing I experienced this summer was working with Kevin Durant when he visited Chicago for the Nike EYBL National Championship," Fedder said. "He made me feel short for the first time in a while.”

Fedder summed up his experience with a classic hip-hop lyric: “As Drake himself said, ‘Checks over stripes.’”

Aileen Daly, The Yankee Candle Company

Senior economics and Chinese major

Dalyworked as a marketing intern with Newell Brands at the Yankee Candle Company in Deerfield, Massachusetts. She says she learned about marketing for home fragrance and spent time measuring flame heights in their “burn lab.”

As part of her duties, Daly participated in "fragrance evaluations." After receiving a base scent, interns smelled rooms containing the scent for comparison. Before heading back to Chapel Hill, Daly got to make a candle label for her dog, Murphy.

Ewen Liu, Social Innovation in Health Initiative/World Health Organization

Senior environmental health sciences major

Liu used connections she made while studying abroad with Honors Carolina to work in Malawi with the Social Innovation in Health Initiative. She worked on a self-designed project to learn more about community-driven health care.

In Malawi, Liu worked alone on a self-designed project. 

"I was able to get a more on-the-ground understanding of community-driven healthcare and also the organization work necessary to maintain a sustainable WHO-funded program," Liu said.

Shea Stanley, Reductress

Senior communications and drama major

Stanley spent her summer in New York City with Reductress, an online satirical women’s magazine. Stanley compiled pitches and wrote pieces, including her favorite article, “Man Making Fun of Your Every Move Not Sure Why You’re in Bad Mood.”

“It was my first big girl comedy job, and I truly had the best time and learned so much,” Stanley said. 

She said one of the most important lessons was how she saw the all-female office lead to a great working environment.

Cassandra Cassidy, Glossier

Senior economics major

Cassidy worked as a logistics and operations intern at Glossier, a makeup brand that started in 2014 and became a cult beauty favorite. While at the office in New York City, Cassidy made sure goods made it to warehouses, retail stores and online customers on a daily basis.

“I was given huge responsibilities and learned a lot about the beauty industry and startups," Cassidy said. "What I took away from the internship more was lessons about myself and the kind of job I want."

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