UW-Green Bay Communication student wows at Internship Draft Day

UW-Green Bay’s Kendra Lepper attended Internship Draft Day to gain a networking opportunity. Little did she know, she would walk away with so much more than ‘just’ an experience. Lepper left the evening with company swag, internship offers, and a $500 scholarship for the spring 2022 semester.

This year’s Internship Draft Day was Nov. 4, 2021 at Lambeau Field. With more than 40 companies present and 200+ paid internships offered, it was a unique opportunity for students to put their best selves forward and interview with companies of their choice. Attendees were able to set up 15-minute interviews with companies for internships of their choosing. In return, recruiters/employers were able to meet interested students and score them on their interviewing skills. Students competed to be the number one draft pick for their university and overall. The top two overall draft picks won scholarships.

Lepper, a Communication major with a business minor, signed up for Internship Draft Day as an alternative assignment option for Professor Shauna Froelich’s Theories of the Interview class. Students could choose to write a five-page paper or participate in Draft Day and write a short reflection. Lepper jumped on the opportunity to participate and signed up for six interviews in total (the maximum amount). She arrived early with 15 copies of her resume and began figuring out her “game plan” for the evening.

With her knowledge about each company and position as well as her cheerful personality, Lepper sailed through the interviews, providing a comfortable and conversational experience for both her and the interviewers. Between her six interviews, she had a chance to participate in an open-networking segment of the evening.

“I was getting tired, and I wanted to relax a bit. But I realized that there’s only one Draft Day and I would’ve been disappointed if I stopped…so I gave myself a five-minute break and got back to networking! I was able to meet about 5-6 more companies that I didn’t initially have scheduled.”

With her dedication and commitment to the interviews, Lepper blew away the companies that she met with. She was offered two internships on the spot and was given an invitation to tour one of the companies at a later date. Another business didn’t have a position open in her field but connected with her on LinkedIn so they could connect on future job openings.

At the end of Internship Draft Day, Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy presented the awards for the top draft picks. Each university’s #1 draft pick was given a gift certificate and the top two overall draft picks were given scholarships. Lepper walked away from the event as the top draft pick for UW-Green Bay and second overall draft pick. She was the recipient of a Walmart gift card, a Kwik Trip gift card, and a $500 scholarship. Lepper’s accomplishment is being celebrated by the Communication department and the UW-Green Bay community.

She truly exemplifies the talent and hard work of a UW-Green Bay Phoenix!

Feature by Marketing and University Communication student assistant Soundarya Ritzman

Photo submitted.