My name is Caroline Quinn ‘22. I am a junior at Holy Cross, majoring in International Studies and working towards a Certificate in Business Fundamentals through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society.
In August 2020 I participated in the Fulbridge Professional Edge Program. This four-day-long intensive virtual program is designed to help prepare Holy Cross students for the business world by connecting the liberal arts to the working world. Speaking from my experience, Fullbridge did that and so much more. I was among the first group of students to participate in this program remotely. I logged onto the platform on the first day of the program, and I was surprised by how hands-on and engaging the Fullbridge team was. I could tell right off the bat that the coaches were so excited to be there, and that energy was contagious!
As we all know, COVID-19 has posed countless challenges for online learning, but Fullbridge effectively adapted the in-person program by coordinating virtual webinars, off-Zoom module tasks, and small breakout group discussions to keep us engaged. We covered everything from organizational IQ to data analysis, and I learned so much! We used that new knowledge in our final project where each small team proposed an innovative growth strategy for a Fortune 500 company. My team had Lululemon and our final presentation earned us a spot in the final showdown. It was really exciting to present to all of the coaches, the CEO of Fullbridge, and family and friends.
It’s crazy how much I learned within just a few days! Fullbridge gave me an incredible introduction to sales and marketing and helped me realize that I want to pursue a career in the area of business. This was instrumental in my internship search this fall. In fact, I just accepted an offer to work at PepsiCo’s Undergraduate Sales Strategy Internship Program for Summer 2021! While interviewing for the position, I talked a lot about my Fullbridge experience and what I learned. I was able to articulate how, through Holy Cross’ business program, I’m gaining a transferable skill set that will be essential in the working world. PepsiCo’s internship program actually has a very similar structure to the Fullbridge Program stretched out over a 10 week time period; I will be given actual PepsiCo data to analyze and identify a problem, come up with a way to solve that problem, and improve sales. Fullbridge taught me a plethora of valuable skills that I am excited to continue developing this summer and beyond!
If you are interested in business, or just want to explore, you should definitely apply! It is offered at Holy Cross three times per academic year with financial aid available. Let me know if you have any questions, I am happy to help! Email me at ccquin21@g.holycross.edu.
