Jenkins MBA Students Share Their Summer Internship Experiences
From brand management to supply chain, discover how Jenkins MBAs put classroom learning into action this summer.
One of the hallmarks of the Jenkins Full-Time MBA program at NC State University is the summer internship between year one and year two. These internships allow students to put their classroom learning into action, gain valuable industry experience, and explore career paths while building skills that set them up for post-graduation success.
This summer, our Full-Time MBA students made an impact across industries, from consumer packaged goods to automotive innovation. We caught up with five of them to hear about their roles, highlights, and career goals.
Abdul-Rahim Baba Abdul-Mumin — Senior Program Manager, Amazon
Area of Focus: Innovation Management
Graduate Certificates: Marketing & Business Analytics
As a Senior Program Manager on Amazon’s Sales Abuse team, Rahim led Project Aegis, developing strategies to identify and reduce risks with brands that don’t distribute their products. The role demanded deep analytical work, including brand analysis, market trends, and iterative solution-building.
Internship highlight: “It’s been a hands-on learning experience where failure wasn’t the end, but a continuous effort towards resilience. Amazon’s ‘working backwards’ approach constantly reminded me to focus on the customer and the bigger impact of the work.”
Long-term goal: To launch a strategy consulting firm in Africa that helps local enterprises scale sustainably into million-dollar companies through data-driven insights and innovation.
Kameron Douglas — Procurement Intern, bioMérieux (and Continuous Improvement Intern, GoApe)
Area of Focus: Supply Chain Management
Kameron split his summer between procurement at bioMérieux and process improvement at GoApe. At bioMérieux, he sourced and evaluated potential vendors, participating in the RFx process to determine the best fit. At GoApe, he contributed to process improvements that enhanced operational efficiency.
Internship highlight: “The chance to work alongside great, team-oriented people to solve problems and come to solutions. Plus, I got better at ping pong on my lunch breaks!”
Long-term goal: To continue developing skills to mentor others and lead high-performing, efficient teams.
Chloe Ekberg — Brand Management Intern, The Hershey Company
Area of Focus: Marketing
Graduate Certificates: Marketing; Technology Entrepreneurship & Commercialization (TEC)
Chloe’s brand management internship at Hershey blended analytics, strategy and creativity. Her projects tackled a core business challenge by uncovering consumer insights, shaping brand growth strategies, and supporting marketing campaign development.
Internship highlight: “It was like being the GM of my own brand—analyzing data, shaping strategy, and working cross-functionally to create solutions.”
Long-term goal: To grow her expertise in brand and product marketing, starting in consumer packaged goods, expanding into tech, and ultimately launching and scaling her own business.
Patrick Murray — Strategic Sourcing Intern, Rivian Automotive
Area of Focus: Supply Chain Management
Graduate Certificates: Business Analytics and Supply Chain
Patrick’s internship at Rivian immersed him in strategic sourcing and supplier relationships. He worked on projects ranging from market research to building sourcing strategies for key vehicle components. Collaborating with engineering, material planning, and legal teams, he contributed to Rivian’s mission of cost efficiency, quality, and sustainability.
Internship highlight: “Working closely with the engineering team to understand the vision for future vehicle platforms and ensure suppliers aligned with Rivian’s innovation and performance standards.”
Long-term goal: To lead a global procurement or supply chain organization in the automotive or tech sector, driving innovation and sustainability.
Brooke Ozaki — Grid Automation Sales Intern, Hitachi Energy
Area of Focus: Supply Chain
Dual Degree: Also pursuing the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)
Brooke supported analytics and quality-related improvements at Hitachi by helping develop a skills matrix, gathering employee feedback to streamline a submission process through a new PowerApp, drafting LinkedIn content, and designing a business unit newsletter. She also led a project focused on rebranding outdated sales materials, updating them to reflect current logos and branding guidelines.
Internship highlight: “Being part of a large cohort of interns this summer has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It offered the opportunity to build meaningful connections and friendships, while also fostering both personal and professional growth through shared learning experiences.”
Long-term goal: To advance sustainability by working in industries or companies driving positive environmental change, or by supporting the growth of new sustainability initiatives.
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