Internships have the potential to provide you with real-world experience, new connections, and lots of personal growth. Through my summer internship in corporate partnerships at Charlotte Motor Speedway, I’m happy to say that I’ve gained all three of those things.
My journey to first obtaining this internship was no easy task. I spent months updating my resume, website, and cover letter before applying to upwards of 20 different internships. Ironically enough, I ended up securing my internship through a connection at Ohio University, not through the application. Long story short, make those connections! Soon enough, I accepted the internship and started preparing for an amazing summer.
Once the semester ended, I packed my things and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina for the summer. I absolutely love the city and was so excited that my internship would take me to a new state. I gave myself one week to get situated in this new city before starting my internship, and before I knew it, it was time for my first day at the racetrack!
My first day was everything I could have asked for. My amazing boss, Hayley, made me feel right at home. I couldn’t believe how cool our office was, as well. There were guitars hanging on the walls, pictures of race cars everywhere, and an insane view of the racetrack right from our office. That same week, I met the other interns at the track who soon became like family. There’s truly never a dull day in the office, which I should have known when I was hit with a Nerf dart on my first day as a welcome initiation.
Through this internship, I’ve been able to work the longest race in NASCAR history, the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, along with the General Tire 150, the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, the Alsco 300, U.S. Legend Car Summer Shootout, and much more! Through working the Summer Shootout, I learned everything there is to know about holding a sporting event at a major facility. I, along with the other interns, plan each and every week about new ways to engage with fans in race activities, along with sponsorship activations.
I’m so fortunate that I’ve gained real-world experience through this internship. There are days when I don’t even feel like an intern, I feel like an actual employee. Everyone in the office has truly become family, and I can’t believe I have less than a month before it’s over. I am forever grateful for this opportunity that has not only been instrumental for my career, but has been a dream come true. I am so passionate about working in this industry and know that this internship will help me to continue to work in the industry for years to come!
