Sam Preston

College: Columbia
Graduating Year: 2011
Branch: Columbus, OH – Summer 2009
Students taught: 40

Why I did the SMP:

The Summer Management Program provides real responsibility - the type of responsibility that would be almost impossible to come by from other summer internships or jobs. When I was looking for a summer opportunity, I was looking not only for a means to make money, but also for a way to further my resume and gain business and teaching experience. The summer BM experience provides these things and more by giving undergrads the rare opportunity to control one's own business as they themselves see fit. I chose to participate because I recognized how rare it is to find a chance to gain real business, marketing, teaching, and management skills as a college undergrad.

About my experience:

Besides having a very lucrative summer in which my paycheck was based entirely on the success of my business, I gained skills which I am confident will help me throughout life. Although I don't plan to go into business, the wide variety of skills which I honed during my Ivy Insiders experience will undoubtedly help me to land any job in any field. I gained greater confidence in my interpersonal skills, recognized my aptitude as a teacher, and gained first-hand marketing experience. Most importantly, I am now able to say that I was successful running my own business. Not many people can say that.

The interactions with students, and being able to see them improve thanks to my efforts, was also invaluable to me. What's more, whenever I had an issue, I had the immediate support of an experienced regional manager. Additionally, I've seen very positive support from Ivy Insiders itself even after employment, including extremely valuable references and recommendations. My summer BM experience was quite challenging (what life-changing experiences aren't?) but I left it with an incredible set of skills, experiences, and connections that I am deeply thankful for, and that will serve me for some time. I'd recommend the experience to anyone looking for an incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding summer.