GREENEVILLE – Putting their knowledge into practice, many Tusculum University students are expanding on the active and experiential learning that occurs in their coursework and further developing their skills as interns this summer.
Brandy Thigpen, right, is interning in sport marketing for City National Bank in California.
Dozens of students in multiple disciplines across the university are participating in internships with organizations that align with their fields of study. They include students in academic programs such as biology, chemistry, computer science, psychology, sport management and sport science.
“Students’ classroom time is essentially the theory part of education, explaining how and why things are done the way they are,” said Dr. Brandon Hudson, assistant professor of sport management, who oversees that program’s interns. “It builds the foundation of knowledge for what they will see in their careers. But the experiential learning aspect of the internships is putting that theory into practice. It’s like a test drive of their prospective career.
“Students learn so much more in a real-world, hands-on space than we can ever teach them solely in a classroom. They not only get to do and apply things we’ve discussed, but they get to build professional relationships and connections with co-workers, supervisors, customers and fans.”
Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, dean of the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, takes Dr. Hudson’s comment about a test drive a step further.
“Internship experiences can help a student rule in or rule out a career,” she said. “I received an email from a student, Clayton Sanders, who is job shadowing this summer, and he told me that he is excited for the future and knew after the first day at the facility that being a veterinarian was for him. I have also had students who have completed an internship and came back having ruled out that career. Both are equally important.”
Student learns more about science and the work environment
Emily Mosley is interning at the Morristown plant of Mahle.
Emily Mosley, a senior chemistry major, who is pursuing a career as a forensic scientist, is interning at the Morristown plant of Mahle, a global company that produces and distributes engine components mostly consisting of pistons. One of the company’s accomplishments is having its pistons in every race car on the NASCAR circuit.
This is the third summer in which Mosley has participated in this internship, but she said she still enjoys it and continues learning from it. Her basic duty is to check engine components to determine if they were made with the right elemental composition and if the metal was cooled and heated properly, resulting in a different hardness.
Mosley likes learning everything she can about metallurgy. She said the science behind it is similar to the chemistry and physics she has learned so far. Advancing her knowledge is really fun, she said.
“This internship is almost all chemistry-related, so it helps me to understand not only real-world application of the things I learned in the classroom, but it is helping to give me the skills and courage to know how to work in a lab setting outside school,” Mosley said. “Learning problem-solving skills, how to fix mistakes, how to work through machine malfunctions and even coming up with new tests and procedures are skills I have gained from this internship that will help enhance my career preparation.”
Another student experiences baseball from a new angle
Zane Keener prepares the field at Pioneer Park for game action.
Zane Keener is a graduate student, on track to earn a Master of Sport Management in December. This will be his second degree from Tusculum, following his bachelor’s in sport administration in 2023. He is spending the summer as an intern for the Greeneville Flyboys, a member of the Appalachian League.
His busiest times are on game days, which begin about 9:30 a.m. and continue until after the evening or late afternoon game concludes at Pioneer Park. The work day is much lighter –two to three hours – when no game takes place. Among his duties on game days are mowing the grass, dragging the dirt on the infield, making repairs to the mound, painting the lines and watering the field. His main duty on the other days is mowing the field – the grass is cut daily in a different pattern to ensure the grass is even – and sometimes the berms on the sides of the field.
This year, the Bristol State Liners, another league team, have held some of their home games at Pioneer Park, and Keener has helped prepare the field for them as well. He loves having an internship where he can be outside and watch good baseball and said his favorite part of the day is the mowing.
Keener said his coursework has helped him with the networking aspect of his internship, which has included meeting and coming to know Brandon Bouschart, the Flyboys’ general manager. He said the internship has also helped him prepare for his career, which will begin as an assistant coach for the startup baseball team at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville now that his Tusculum playing career has ended. He said Bouschart; Brandon Steele, Tusculum’s head coach; and Caleb Narron, an assistant baseball coach at the university, helped him obtain that job.
Zane Keener waters the infield before a Greeneville Flyboys game at Pioneer Park.
Networking has been a key part of the internship, but spending time with good people has been beneficial as well, Keener said.
“Being around the game of baseball has always been something that I think I have been put on this earth to do,” he said. “All of those people have played a huge part in helping me reach out to coaches and reach out to baseball facilities and putting my name out there. I’m very grateful for that.”
Keener said his work on game preparation during his internship will also benefit him as a coach. He has learned the other side of the game, and that has enhanced his respect for the Tusculum coaches. In addition, he has observed Jack Wilson, the Flyboys’ manager, who played for 12 years in the major leagues, in his teaching moments. He has also enjoyed watching Andy Collins, the Flyboys’ pitching coach, work with the pitching staff.
“I’ve been very blessed to be around people who know what they are doing so I can take that into my coaching job,” Keener said.
Academic leaders highlight internship details
Dr. Henson-Ramsey and Dr. Hudson said students can choose where they intern, but Dr. Henson-Ramsey said she and the faculty in her college need to approve the location, if they want academic credits, to ensure it aligns with their career goals. Students take the lead in this process in the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, but Dr. Henson-Ramsey and faculty members can help with introductions and reference letters. CSTM students are also eligible to receive academic credit for job shadowing.
Ryan Hamilton is interning in the sports book at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia.
Derek Cordova, seated on the floor on the left, is interning in digital media and marketing at Knoxville Martial Arts Academy.
Sport management students are expected to find an internship using the skills they have acquired in class, but faculty members can assist, if necessary, or share if they are aware of specific opportunities.
Factors that come into play in internship selection are the segment of this industry that interests the students, their prior connections and network, the place they are spending the summer and the skill sets they have already acquired or want to build, Dr. Hudson said.
CSTM students can receive academic credit for their internships, but that is not required. Most go that route because all CSTM degrees require some form of experiential learning outside the classroom, such as internships or research. Students who chose to receive academic credit must earn at least two credit hours, each of which requires at least 45 hours of actual work performed. They also have to keep a journal about their internship and write a reflective paper or make a presentation that discusses their experience.
“We are excited to see our students go through the internship process and see their progression as they become career-ready professionals,” Dr. Henson-Ramsey said. “College is all about preparing students for that next phase in their lives, and Tusculum is focused on fostering their growth through internships and other initiatives that drive their development. Internships, research and one-on-one mentoring and teaching from our faculty are giving our students a leg up in the job market.”
Tusculum offers undergraduate and graduate sport management programs. Students must complete 144 hours and 400 hours, respectively, of work in their internship. They are also required to have a journal. The internship is a required part of the curriculum for undergraduates, while graduate students can choose an internship or a research methodology class and applied research project.
“The internships were my favorite part of my undergraduate and graduate school experiences,” Dr. Hudson said. “I made lifelong friendships, professional connections, and learned applicable skills that I have used throughout my 20-plus years working in the industry. I am always genuinely excited to read the journal entries that students submit during their internships. They typically discuss responsibilities, realizations, and experiences – lots of ‘light bulb moments’ – and items that highlight their personal growth and professional development.”
To see a list of partial list of students participating in internships, please visit bit.ly/3xVwLbD. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.