September 17, 2021
In turn with Wandaliz Baret Luna
Wandaliz Baret Luna was born in the Dominican Republic but joins ECU and the College of Business from Raleigh, North Carolina. She tells us of at least two goals she’s had in life: to attend her dream university, ECU, and to become a CIO one day.
“My academic journey has not been easy, but I am almost there,” Luna, a senior, said. “My goal is to be well-prepared by pursuing my MBA degree in Fall 2022, while working full-time in a well-known organization that enables me to acquire strong leadership skills.”
Luna, a management information systems major, recently spoke with us about her internship with Sherwin Williams, which she found via Handshake.
“My Responsibilities were to complete seven-plus educational training modules per week with the purpose to learn Sherwin-Williams store standard operations, painting products, financial, human resources, and more. I acquired hands-on experience by assisting staff with store operations. I aided DIY (homeowners) with their color choices and explained the paint products Sherwin Williams provides. Also, I helped Spanish-speaking painting contractors with English/Spanish interpretations.
Lastly, my teammate and I were assigned a project presentation for the end of our internship. We chose eCommerce. With this project, we were responsible for bringing fresh strategic ideas to gain brand attachment to increase Sherwin-Williams Pro+ App utilization with customers. We had to present our E-Commerce project to the vice president of sales, all district sales managers, North Carolina and South Carolina interns, and recruiters.”
How have you applied what you learned in your classwork to this position?
From management to marketing to supply chain, I was able to apply some portions to what I did for Sherwin Williams. While I was working on the project with my teammate, I contributed to the idea of a marketing event, conducting a survey questionnaire modeling, which came from supply chain, and problem-solving from all my management courses.
What was the most challenging thing you experienced during your internship, and how did what you learned in the COB help you overcome it?
During my project presentation, the most challenging thing I experienced was that I knew I must present in front of directors, city managers, and other interns. I was very anxious. However, I overcame it by applying all the skills I learned in my public speaking course and all the projects I presented at ECU.
How did you apply what you learned in BUSI 1200, BUSI 2200, BUSI 3200 or BUSI 4200 to your internship?
Professional development and management helped me interact with district sales managers and store managers during the hands-on tasks and the project. Learning the Clifton Strengths from Busi 2200 was a big aid when working with all the different personalities on my team. Knowing these materials helped me understand, work and manage my personalities to work with all the different personalities.
What has this internship taught you about responsibility?
I learned that being responsible may teach me to be a better leader, hold higher roles, and own any mistakes I make in the future.
How will this internship benefit you?
I acquired the benefits of time management, teamwork, problem-solving, project management, and presentation skills from this internship.
Why would you recommend a business student take advantage of an internship opportunity?
I recommend business students take advantage of any internship, no matter if it’s related to their major or not. You will learn transferrable skills that can be applied anywhere you go. Do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you can and learn from the company’s career history, its opportunities, and most importantly, its culture. Lastly, network! Get connected on LinkedIn because you never know who is who and who knows who.