Summer Intern Spotlight

Each year, we bring in one or two college students for our summer internship program. Summer is a busy time of year for us, so along with the usual office assistance they provide, our interns often get to help with some pretty cool projects. This summer we have two students from the nearby college of Davidson, and this issue we’re putting the spotlight on one.

Linnea Buttermore, a rising senior Sociology major and co-captain of Davidson’s Swimming and Diving Team, is here with us this summer. We’ve asked her some questions about why she wanted to work here, what she’s finding interesting, and what she’s getting out it. You can read about her experience on our blog.

Linnea, tell us a little bit about yourself …
I am 21 years old, a rising senior Sociology major at Davidson College, and co-captain of the Swimming and Diving Team next year. When I am not training for diving, I enjoy wakeboarding, snowboarding, surfing, running, and driving my pink Jeep Wrangler to the Jersey Shore (near my hometown).

Why did you want to work at Topics Education?
I applied for an internship at Topics Education after taking a Sociology of Education course last semester. I really wanted to learn more about education outside of the classroom in an environment that is constantly moving and creating. When I read about Topics I knew that I would never become bored working here, based on the extensive range of projects going on day-to-day. I also liked the idea of so many different companies and organizations being able to come to one place for all their education needs.

What’s the best thing about working here?
The best thing about working at Topics is definitely the environment. Topics was founded by a very creative group of enjoyable people to work with. Everyone is extremely driven and focused; yet it is a casual and entertaining office to work in.

Have you learned anything this summer?
One of the main lessons I have learned since starting with Topics is the importance of detail. Feeling responsible for every small aspect of a project has really caused me to concentrate long and hard about every piece that I am involved with. I have also been given the opportunity to see how some of the more basic tasks, such as research and proofreading are vital components to every project.

Anything else?
Topics Education is a great company for any college student looking to get some “real world” experience. It is definitely intimidating to think about where I will be after graduation, but I know with what I have learned through working at Topics, I am going to be more prepared to enter the job market next year.