September 24th 2007 – March 24th 2008

School: University of California at Davis
Major: International Relations
Major: Political Science
Email: larsoncoopermcneil@N0SPAM.gmail.com  
Hometown: Concord, CA

When I first started the internship at the Sacramento Export Assistance Center, I did not really know what to expect. I had not worked with international trade or business before, and had little experience outside of my job at Bank of America.

I was surprised by the internship. I had expected to be treated like an intern, and spend most of my time filing and copying. However, George did not expect me, or teach me, to do work like this. He spent time teaching me, and the other interns, how to be an effective employee and communicator. He expects his interns to work and act like real employees, and he treats them as such. Because of this, I learned much more than I had expected I would.

For me, this experience led to tremendous personal growth. I learned how to manage projects, use time efficiently, speak confidently in person and on the phone, interact with clients, and manage client relationships. After working at the Sacramento Assistance Center for two months, I got a large promotion at Bank of America. I feel that this promotion was partly due to the skills and confidence that I gained working for George.

I recommend this internship for anyone who is interested in international business, economic markets, or even banking. There is a lot that you can learn from the internship program at the Sacramento Export Assistance Center.