January 20, 2022
In turn with Grant Smith
Dr. George Schilling and Grant Smith pitch InHouse Call during 2021 Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The College of Business and the ECU experience have to be lived to appreciate the opportunities provided for tomorrow’s leaders.
Grant Smith, a junior majoring in marketing and entrepreneurship, lives the experience. He is in the Honors College and an inaugural Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellow. Smith also won the most recent Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge.
On top of all that, Smith has had three internships where, according to Smith, “he received hands-on experience daily.”
We spoke with Smith about his internships and his responsibilities.
Through ECU’s RISE29 program, I worked on a small consulting team to support a small local bakery. We created a business plan and a new website for it.
An old friend told me about an opportunity with the Power Resource Group (PRG). I used my networking skills and worked directly under the CEO to provide marketing support for the company’s solar panel leasing. I also created a marketing plan and collected data on possible customers.
I learned about Accelerate Rural NC through a friend of a friend. I am responsible for much behind-the-scenes housekeeping work, facilitating meetings and helping with one-on-one consulting work.
How have you applied what you learned in your classwork to this position?
I’ve applied my marketing classwork to these internships and put it into real-world action.
What was the most challenging thing you experienced during your internship, and how did what you learned in the COB help you overcome it?
The most difficult thing with my internships came with my time with RISE29. My group was having trouble getting the necessary documents from our client. I used the interpersonal skills that I learned in my classes to find new angles to get through to our client.
How did you apply what you learned in BUSI 1200, BUSI 2200, BUSI 3200 or BUSI 4200 to your internship?
I applied my networking skills to obtain the internships. I wouldn’t have had my experiences had I not learned how to work with the people around me to help find opportunities.
Does your company have internship opportunities for our future leaders? As a COB student, do you need assistance with finding internship opportunities? Contact Melissa Parks – parksr19@ecu.edu – at the Cunanan Center for Professional Success.