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Far from slowing down for summer, Leeds students accelerated their professional and personal growth through internships, global experiences and hands-on learning that made a lasting impact.

Ariana Kozlowski (Mktg’28) worked as a creative media intern at Hendrick Motorsports through the NASCAR Next Internship Program.

Forever lessons

(Mktg’27) will remember one moment from this summer for years: content she created for the Carolina Panthers was picked up by the NFL and ESPN. “It was awesome being able to see my work on such a big stage,” she said.

Among many memorable moments, her internship supporting digital content initiatives with NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports solidified her goal of building a career in sports marketing and media. She discovered she thrives in a fast-paced environment.

“I also realized how much I enjoy the combination of creativity, collaboration, and the energy that comes with working in sports,” Kozlowski said.

(Mktg, Fin’29) had an equally transformative experience, spending five weeks in Cape Town through the Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa (EESA) Program.

“EESA taught me so much that a traditional classroom experience simply cannot teach. I learned how to navigate living independently across the world and applied everything I had learned in business school to real businesses where our work had real consequences,” she said.

The program’s closing ceremony will remain etched in her memory.

“In addition to the two entrepreneurs my team of six worked closely with, my roommate Isabela (from Notre Dame), and I helped another entrepreneur, Phathiswa Gaga, formalize her early childhood development center,” Saldana said. “At the closing ceremony, watching Phathiswa jump up and down with excitement and tear up as she received her certificate filled me with a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment that I will never forget. Working with her taught me just how selfless and beautiful people can be.”

Growth opportunities

Colton Sontrop (Mktg’27) spent the summer working as a marketing intern with airport systems design firm BNP Associates.

(Mktg’27), who writes for the Deming Center during the academic year, spent the summer as a marketing intern with airport systems design firm BNP Associates.

“I learned to be timely, plan out checkpoints and deadlines, interact with higher-level professionals, and manage my workload on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

His most memorable moment came during his final presentation, when he shared an intern recruitment video he created that the company plans to use. “It was cool to see everyone’s reaction, knowing I made a lasting impact,” he said.

(Mktg, StrEnt’28), a junior brand and content strategist for TikTok—an opportunity he got through the Badami Office of Experiential Learning—welcomed the chance to stretch outside his comfort zone.

“I had to support each decision with quantitative and qualitative data to justify business recommendations. It really tested my time management and remote adaptability. Learning to use large, uninterrupted blocks of deep-work time was an incredible life skill.”

Through her valuation services internship with Crowe LLP, (Fin, Acct’27) learned the value of independence and determination while also becoming more comfortable seeking support when needed.

“Over time, I started to see asking questions less as a sign of weakness and more as knowing when to reach out and learn from the people around me,” she said.

From the classroom to the workplace

Kozlowski felt well prepared for her internship. “A lot of the marketing concepts I learned directly translated to my work at NASCAR. It was rewarding to see how the curriculum was represented in the real world, including such concepts as consumer behavior, branding, marketing strategy and analytics.”

Kyle Tran’s work focused on brand and content strategy for All Basics Uniforms (ABU). Drawing on concepts from Leeds coursework, he conducted competitor analysis, built customer personas, developed platform-specific content recommendations, established KPI benchmarks, and created a social media playbook.

“I was able to take core marketing frameworks and apply them to a real company. Rather than just throwing generic content at a social feed, I focused on analyzing how a brand could deliberately position itself to solve specific customer needs and pain points.”

Breeana Tran was glad she had completed upper-level finance courses before arriving at Crowe. “A lot of the concepts I learned at Leeds ended up being relevant. For example, I used the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method often during my internship, and I definitely wouldn't have felt as comfortable with it without taking Corporate Finance.”

She also credits Leeds with helping her build confidence. “Leeds prepared me really well when it came to networking and professional etiquette. I felt much more comfortable talking with my managers, asking questions, and knowing what questions would actually be helpful.”

Crafting real solutions

For Breeana Tran, assisting with business valuations and audit reviews revealed the complexity of valuing intangible assets such as customer relationships.

“It can be challenging because there isn’t always an obvious answer. I had to dig through data, research competitors, and look at past information to figure out what made the most sense. A lot of the work felt like being a detective, which made it really fun and rewarding.”

Saldana appreciated EESA’s emphasis on student ownership. Teams were responsible for developing and implementing several deliverables for each client, including financial systems, marketing strategies, customer retention plans, booking platforms, and sales materials.

Dani Saldana (Mktg, Fin’29), second from left, joined the summer 2026 cohort of the Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa Program.��

Through Process Consulting, her team implemented seven major deliverables for two entrepreneurs, including bookkeeping systems, branding strategies, customer retention tools, and a sales workshop.

“Seeing the results after our engagement was incredibly rewarding,” she said. One entrepreneur secured partnerships with three brand ambassadors to promote her salon training academy, strengthened her social media presence, and gained a clearer understanding of her business costs and margins. Another used materials created by the team to secure new contracts.

“Sometimes showing someone how much you believe in them and their business can help relight that spark to keep fighting for its success.”

Takeaways for life

Kyle Tran left his role with a marketing portfolio of content and strategy work that will support future opportunities. “The most rewarding part was being recognized as a Top Performer, placing in the top 10% of my entire cohort based on my effort, initiative and final strategy presentation.”

For Breeana Tran, the experience broadened her view of global business. “I worked with companies in industries I didn’t even know existed, and it was interesting to see how they found their target market and provided something genuinely useful to the people they served.”

An added bonus was shaping her long-term priorities. “I now have a much better idea of the type of people I want to work with and the kind of work-life balance that's important to me.”

Saldana’s biggest takeaways?

1. Appreciate the little things in life and be a good person.
2. You are stronger and smarter than your brain tells you.
3. Learn how to rely on yourself.

Observing company leaders showed her how strong relationships can shape effective leadership. “I learned that having strong relationships with the people you work with can make a significant difference in both the quality of the work and how much you enjoy doing it.”

Horan's internship led to a full-time job offer after graduation, giving her something many seniors hope for: clarity about what’s next. Rather than focusing on a job search, she can spend her senior year building skills she'll apply in her role with Millennium.

“It feels like a culmination of the work I’ve put in over the past three years,” she said. “I’m extremely grateful to have found an opportunity and a team that I’m genuinely excited to return to.”

Breeana Tran echoed that sentiment. She plans to complete her undergraduate degree now in three years, finishing in spring 2027. Crowe has already asked her back to work in a full-time role—a position she is grateful to accept.��

Student Voices

In addition to gaining valuable career skills through summer internships, students also learned about their own strengths and interests.

Breeana Tran (Fin, Acct’27)��

��I now have a much better idea of the type of people I want to work with and the kind of work-life balance that's important to me.”

Kyle Tran (Mktg, StrEnt’28)

��Learning to use large, uninterrupted blocks of deep-work time was an incredible life skill.”

Georgia Horan (Psych’27)

��I learned that having strong relationships with the people you work with can make a significant difference in both the quality of the work and how much you enjoy doing it.”