With the first day of school looming around the corner, U-Haul college interns stood before a room full of managers, supervisors and Team Members ready to present their work achievements.
The annual intern presentations, spread over two days in August, give interns the chance to reflect on their work and look to the future.
Since beginning in 2007, U-Haul Company’s internship program has afforded numerous college and high school students the opportunity to expand their skills and understand what makes a Fortune 500 company tick.
“The U-Haul Internship Program is not only a great opportunity for college students to learn about U-Haul, its products and departments, but also a fantastic tool for leaders within our company,” said corporate recruiter and internship coordinator Tony Smith. “By having these interns, our managers have a unique opportunity to train, lead and mentor.”
For over two months, digital marketing intern, Anais Anchondo, has been using her heritage and ability to speak a second language to her advantage.
“I am able to better understand the barriers customers face with our website since I can put myself in their shoes,” Anchondo said. “I can bring new ideas to the table and try to help improve the Spanish website for our Latin community. I’m excited to explore new ideas that could benefit U-Haul and its customers in the future.”
One thing that sets U-Haul interns apart from others is their dedication to their craft. Lexi Ferguson has been an intern at the U-Haul Technical Center in Tempe for two years. She has helped spear-head the Technician Training Program.
“My internship with U-Haul has shown me that the work I’m doing matters greatly,” Ferguson explained. “I didn’t expect to be so emotionally tied to my job, but I get to see the success of the men and women that I’m helping and encouraging throughout the process of becoming a Master Technician. I love to see our technicians accomplish such a daunting task.”
Instead of being tasked with operating the coffee machine or running menial errands, each U-Haul intern is able to be an equal part of their team and learn the value of hard work.
“This has been a great opportunity for me to grow and learn with the people in my department,” said Preston Wagner, a business student at Arizona State University and an intern in the Truck Repair Research Department. “I have been able to learn the value of professional relationships and hard work in a way school could never teach me.”
Fellow Truck Repair Research intern, Conner Weiss, also learned the value of professional relationships.
“The most important part of this experience has been the people that I’ve met,” Weiss said. “I’ve gained invaluable wisdom and encouragement from my supervisors and coworkers. I look forward to keeping in touch with them for the foreseeable future, regardless of where my career ambitions take me.”
No matter where their U-Haul internship drives them, every intern will know that their hard work and dedication helped U-Haul retain its status as the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and storage.
Find available internships on our career page!
Congratulate our 15 interns who participated in the presentations in the comments!