{"id":4308,"date":"2022-10-28T20:02:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T20:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=4308"},"modified":"2025-05-22T12:08:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T16:08:23","slug":"a-real-world-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2022\/10\/28\/a-real-world-internship\/","title":{"rendered":"A Real-World Internship"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column4308_cf2ea6-e2 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:250px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c figure{max-width:250px;}.kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c .image-is-svg, .kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image4308_dfdf1d-5c\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Luminary-Jada_Brinkley-7880-web-1.jpg\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-15372\" \/><figcaption>Jada Brinkley<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jada Brinkley<\/strong>, a Wilmington University senior majoring in Business Analytics, is an intern at the Wilmington Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on economic development and inclusion, promoting the collective good, and community-based interventions to halt violence in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a win-win-win relationship. Brinkley is helping staffers at the Alliance to understand the data collection and reporting capabilities of Apricot 360 more fully. This software platform is utilized extensively by nonprofits. Brinkley\u2019s work will also help Alliance leaders make strategic recommendations on using data to impact their investments in community initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI transferred to Wilmington University in the summer semester of 2021 to pursue my&nbsp;bachelor\u2019s&nbsp;degree in Business Analytics,\u201d says Brinkley. \u201cMy experience at the institution has been nothing but positive and I\u2019ve exponentially grown in an educational and professional manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brinkley says she has gained applicable knowledge quickly. \u201cThis includes expertly crafting my Excel skills \u2014 which will always be needed \u2014 diving into R (language designed for data analysts, data scientists and statisticians) and SQL (Structured Query Language) for the first time, building models to analyze large datasets, importantly learning how to&nbsp;interpret&nbsp;data analyses in context, working with my classmates on extensive group projects, and so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Wilmington Alliance CEO&nbsp;Renata B. Kowalczyk, \u201cJada\u2019s&nbsp;radiating positivity is infectious to everyone she encounters, and she exudes exceptional zeal in all that she pursues. Jada will help Wilmington Alliance capitalize their results-oriented value to master data-driven decision making and leverage collaboration opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kowalczyk adds that Brinkley has a 4.0 GPA, \u201cand is gaining critical aptitudes to thrive in a world of big data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cSeveral of my professors have instilled in me such a solid groundwork to understand the relevance of data and how it can support any function or industry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Jada Brinkley<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am wildly impressed by Wilmington Alliance\u2019s devotion and initiatives for an equitable community right in our city,\u201d Brinkley says. \u201cI\u2019m passionate to exceed in my new role because the work is for the good of the others. It\u2019s a true blessing to be involved.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her free time, which there isn\u2019t much of these days, Brinkley is active in her church, loves to read, and enjoys long nature walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cInternship programs are an essential part of our program,\u201d says&nbsp;Dr. Kathy Ratajack-Kennedy, dean of the College of Business.&nbsp;\u201cStudents gain on-the-job opportunities that help them apply the theoretical concepts from the classroom to a real-world experience.&nbsp;We are proud of the relationships that we have with industry leaders and grateful for their willingness to provide our students with the opportunity for career exposure.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWithout Wilmington University, I would not be able to accomplish any of these responsibilities,\u201d says Brinkley.\u201c (Professor)&nbsp;Dr. Sparco&nbsp;was lovely enough to introduce me to this opportunity. And several of my professors have instilled in me such a solid groundwork to understand the relevance of data and how it can support any function or industry. They\u2019re such knowledgeable experts who are willing to teach beyond the course requirements, connect with us students, and effectively relate the learning material to real-world applications.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI attribute the intensive, jam- packed seven-week block classes at WilmU to aid me in this kind of adaptability, because I\u2019ve been taught to learn quickly and effectively in a fast-paced environment,\u201d says Brinkley. \u201cI am so excited about the present and future, which is largely enabled by my esteemed institution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014Eileen Smith Dallabrida and Maria Hess<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jada Brinkley, a Wilmington University senior majoring in Business Analytics, is an intern at the Wilmington Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on economic development and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":17494,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[71,610,387],"class_list":["post-4308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine","tag-college-of-business","tag-magazine-fall-2022","tag-transfer"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":71,"label":"College of Business"},{"value":610,"label":"Magazine Fall 2022"},{"value":387,"label":"transfer"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-fauxels-3184405-720x480.jpg",720,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Marchione","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rachel\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":431,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":431,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":71,"name":"College of Business","slug":"college-of-business","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":628,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":92,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":610,"name":"Magazine Fall 2022","slug":"magazine-fall-2022","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1167,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":11,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":387,"name":"transfer","slug":"transfer","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":944,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4308"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18315,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4308\/revisions\/18315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}