My Rewarding Summer Internship at National Interstate

When most college students hear the word “internship” they tend to think of doing busy work or menial tasks, but my internship at National Interstate Insurance Company exceeded all my expectations. I had the opportunity to meet our customers, help the local community, work on a research project which was presented to the senior board of directors, and most importantly for me, I was able to work on multiple projects that gave me real responsibilities. I did not feel like just an intern, I felt like a valued employee.

Building Relationships

Within my first week as an intern, I was entrusted with a project that entailed me working with multiple departments and Great American Insurance Group, the parent company of National Interstate. This was a fantastic way for me to network with other employees and form relationships across the organization. I also was able to take on a leadership role producing content for National Interstate’s social media. My ideas and inputs were valued by my boss and colleagues which was a great feeling and made me feel as though I was a valuable asset to the company.

Participating in Events

Everyone I interacted with at National Interstate was friendly, always willing to answer questions, and very helpful. I noticed this not just through my own interactions but also through employees volunteering in various ways to help the local community. National Interstate is the title sponsor of the Akron Marathon’s 8k & 1-mile race and encourages employees to run, cheer, and volunteer to promote health and wellness locally. I was able to travel down to the race and act as the company’s PR representative to take pictures for social media. I quickly observed the family atmosphere between the employees and their dedication to their community. All of our employees were cheering each other on as well as other runners throughout the race. I was still a new intern at this time and unsure if I would recognize employees and be able to get pictures, but everyone was so helpful and went out of their way to introduce themselves to me!

The Intern Project

I also had the opportunity to work on a research project with a group of fellow interns which we presented to the senior leadership team. For our project, our group had to research electric and hybrid vehicles and determine how they would impact the insurance industry in the coming years. To successfully complete this project, my team interviewed several employees to get their insight on how they believed these vehicles could affect our company in the future. I remember being nervous about this because I kept thinking to myself, “who would want to take time out of their day to talk to an intern?” But again, I was proved wrong. Everyone my group and I reached out to were happy to be interviewed and really helped us with our final project! Additionally, we were also given a mentor throughout this process to help guide us. This is a testament to the fact that interns are valued at National Interstate and its employees want to help us succeed!

Gain Industry Knowledge

At National Interstate, interns are truly immersed into the company, not just internally, but externally with our customers. Our cohort of interns had the opportunity to attend a customer visit and learn about what products National Interstate provides. While I personally was unable to attend, my fellow interns said it was a great opportunity to gain more industry knowledge, learn more about the company, and, of course, network.

A Welcoming Experience

Speaking of networking, at the end of the internship, National Interstate held a summer party which all the interns got to attend. To me, the party resembled a family reunion. Everyone was interacting with each other, families were meeting other families, and, once again, I felt very welcome! I cannot boast enough about this internship experience, and I am very proud to say that after graduation, I will be joining the company as a full-time employee!