July 27 is National Intern Day, which happens to fall one day before the end of FrankCrum's 2023 internship program. We're marking both National Intern Day and the great work done by this year's crew by paying homage to a talented group of young people we've been lucky enough to work alongside for the last few months. The 2023 crop of interns all share a drive to better learn their chosen fields and get real-world experience that's priceless to someone starting out in a new career.
For 2023, Interns at FrankCrum fell into three different groups: Risk Management Insurance/FWCI, IT/PEO, and Corporate. RMI Interns received 18.5 hours of training within their first few days on topics such as General Liability and Workers' Comp basics and underwriting practices, Risk and Safety, Claims and Litigation, Accounting and Compliance, Business Development and Marketing, and Operations. On the IT side, we have formalized an internship program that focuses on college students interested in the technology industry as their career field. This program brings candidates to fill future vacancies and provides continued expansion and promotion of FrankCrum’s name in an additional large community (colleges and universities). The Corporate internships focused on HR and Marketing.
Without further ado, let's meet our Summer 2023 interns:
RISK MANAGEMENT INSURANCE/FWCI
The 2023 Risk Management Insurance/FWCI Interns, from Left: Evelyn Turner, Nicholas Stempniak, and Mitchell Wood.
Evelyn Turner
School: University of Florida
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Business Administration, minoring in wealth management/entrepreneurship
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I heard about the internship program at FrankCrum through my dad, who is a WC defense attorney. He really loves the company and thought it would be a great fit for me to explore the insurance industry.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
During my internship, I have helped develop a manual for Hubspot Standard Operating Procedures for the BDMs. I have also gotten to see how Alan works his magic helping him on agency calls, and even had the opportunity to go to a conference with Nick!
What’s one big thing you learned while interning at FrankCrum?
While interning at FrankCrum, I have learned to never shy away from meeting new people and forming connections! You never know how far networking can get you.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
My internship experience has really opened my mind to all the possible paths pertaining to insurance/sales. I could definitely see myself continuing down this path in the future.
What was the best part of your internship?
The best part of my internship was attending a conference with Nick, Christie and Dan. We had a great time and did a lot of networking (and I won a bottle of tequila in a ring toss)!
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
I would like to thank Alan, Tyler, Nick and Jo for making my summer internship so special!
Nicholas Stempniak
School: University of South Florida
Grade Level: Senior
Major: BS Finance, BA German
How did you hear about the internship program?
At the USF Career Fair.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
Competitor analysis, Credit Card/Banking cost analysis, outstanding checks
What's one big thing you learned while interning at FrankCrum?
How to prioritize when working on multiple projects at a time.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
The experience helped me to identify areas in my field of study that I am interested in working in.
What was the best part of your internship?
Having breakfast from Bill at Tilly's.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship more memorable?
Bill and the Accounting/Finance team.
Anything else you'd like to add about your experience?
I enjoyed my experience at FrankCrum and am grateful for the opportunity to work as an intern.
Mitchell Wood
School: Florida State University
Grade Level: Junior
Major: Finance
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I heard about the internship on LinkedIn.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
I had the pleasure of making quarterly and yearly analysis for the company, putting together outstanding checks, reconciling payments, creating manual invoices, and processing final audits and endorsements.
What’s one big thing you learned while interning at FrankCrum?
I learned the importance of teamwork and how it makes a business thrive.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
I still don’t know what my future career will entail but having the opportunity to be around a lot of different people and hearing what they do helped me a great deal.
What was the best part of your internship?
Being able to ask anyone a question and there was never a time where I didn’t feel welcome. I appreciate how positive the work environment was every day.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
I would like to thank the accounting and operations team for guiding me in the right direction and giving me hands-on work that developed my skills that will help me in the future. Also, having a tight intern group made the experience enjoyable.
IT/PEO INTERNS
Jack Siegel
School: University of South Florida
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Information Technology
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I heard about the internship through a LinkedIn job board.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
I worked on and learned the codebase for the MyFrankCrum web application by adding new features and patching application bugs. Through this process I learned the importance of good code practice and how to effectively communicate with the team you work with. Communication is everything.
What’s one big thing your learned while interning at FrankCrum?
One big thing I learned from Eric was how important it is to be supportive and helpful no matter how much stress you are under. This resilience is the difference between a good programmer and a great one.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
My experience here at FrankCrum has helped me to ascertain that being a Software Developer is positively 100% what I want to do with my career. I had been waiting on an experience like this for a while out of curiosity as to how my view would change. I am happy to say that it only reinforced the things I thought before rather than deterring me.
What was the best part of your internship?
The best part of my internship has been every waking moment that I spent absorbing knowledge about programming from experienced individuals. This is something that is truly priceless in value and something that I appreciate too much to fully express via text. Thank you Eric and Misty ❤.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
Of course I owe this answer to Eric Cestero. I truly cannot put into words how much he has helped me to learn who I am as a programmer and how I want to be in the future. Our amazing manager Misty Swearengin who has more on her plate than I can imagine taking on. Just even having basic conversation with these two shows their experience and expertise at the craft of programming. Truly an inspiration to me, just thinking of these two in the future will help to drive me during my endeavors to achieve all that I want to be. Thank the both of you so much for taking me on and being great teachers.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at FrankCrum?
I really love the atmosphere and family-knit vibe that the office has. I can’t speak for every department, but everyone on floor 2 of the second building treated me with such kindness and respect. I think this translates to the rest of the company as essentially everyone I talked to were super receptive and curious as to how I was enjoying my time here at FrankCrum. Thank you all for the experience, I can’t wait to utilize these foundations to help me flourish in my career!
Sashank Mannava
School: University of Florida
Grade Level: Junior
Major: Computer Science
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I read about it while searching for IT internships on job listing websites.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
I worked mainly with Project Management to understand the various Projects taking place in the IT and Insurance departments. I shadowed the software developers and got to witness firsthand the extensive nature of the codebase, teaching me about C# and the .NET framework in the process. I also got to sit with various members of the QA team and see how code and products are tested for any bugs and for functionality.
What’s one big thing your learned while interning at FrankCrum?
The biggest thing I learned during the internship program was about organization and management of various moving parts. These were important skills that the project managers here demonstrated, and it was impressive to see the level of detail that projects were outlined in, down to timeline dates and workhours by team members.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
As a software developer in college, this internship gave me an insight into the other parts of IT, such as Project Managers, Business Analysts, and Quality Assurance that work closely with the developers to create and give life to large-scale applications. This allowed me to explore other roles to see what IT role I can fit into in the future, while also giving me an understanding of the department as a whole.
What was the best part of your internship?
The best part of the internship was the conversations I had with the various staff members in the IT department. Hearing other people’s experiences and how they settled on their careers was educational and uplifting to know people who were in my shoes when they were in college found what role they fit into. (Also LOVED the snack bar by Mario’s office.)
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
When it comes to staff members that made my internship better, there were a lot. I’d want to first shoutout Mario and Krinna for giving me the opportunity to have this internship, as well as being friendly faces while I was getting accustomed to life at FrankCrum. Brian and John for teaching me a lot of what I know on how to be a Project Manager and for being patient/understanding with me as I asked the same questions repeatedly. Without all the meetings they had to teach me about the whole Agile/Waterfall process and what a Gannt was, I would not have been able to finally complete my very own project. Stephanie for similarly being patient with me and for inviting me to eat lunch on many occasions. She helped me get more comfortable with the new work environment and would similarly tolerate all my questions 😊.
David for being very energetic and giving confidence in my own skills. When we would get together for meetings, he would make an effort to be relatable and was a person I could depend on for encouragement when I (frequently) was stressed and anxious. Terry for his wisdom and the many life-lessons he’s given me. He gave me reassurance when it came to my career and told me through his anecdotal experience that short-term problems are just steppingstones to long-term success. And last but not least to Eric. Even though he isn’t part of the PDO team and is a software developer teaching another intern, he still let me sit with him and learn a lot about programming in a work environment. He would narrate his thinking process when tackling difficult situations or bugs that rose up in the code and was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning from. He kept everything light-hearted and was a great person to talk to but was very focused when it came to resolving issues in the code. When I wouldn’t understand something, he never passed any judgement on my capabilities, instead he would clearly explain in a way that would help me learn.
Thank you to all of these people for making my first internship an educational experience, and most certainly a memorable one. 😃
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at FrankCrum?
Not much, other than that I am grateful for the opportunity I was given here at FrankCrum.
Trey Pearson
School: University of Tampa
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Cybersecurity
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I was looking for businesses in the area offering cyber programs and I came across FrankCrum on LinkedIn.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
I worked on analyzing suspicious emails, integrating applications for SSO, and Investigating alerts to create reports.
What’s one big thing you learned while interning at FrankCrum?
That communication is key.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
I found that I really enjoy investigating and problem-solving alerts and that’s something I would enjoy doing as a career.
What was the best part of your internship?
Getting to be a part of a team.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
Wayne Lawley, Lee Quinn, & Michael Smith.
Luke Chop
School: University of South Florida
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Cybersecurity
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
My schools job listing page (handshake).
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
During my internship, I undertook a variety of tasks that contributed significantly to my learning experience. These included analyzing and categorizing incoming threats, investigating phishing emails directed at FrankCrum employees, researching and implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) with Slack, and drafting a comprehensive list of necessary equipment for constructing a Security Operations Center (SOC) room.
What’s one big thing your learned while interning at FrankCrum?
That I like coffee. One significant takeaway from my internship at FrankCrum was the experience of what it means to be a security analyst, which I gained through collaboration with Wayne. This has deepened my understanding and appreciation of the role.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
The most significant realization during my internship at FrankCrum was that I truly enjoy being a security analyst. The hands-on experience I gained, especially working alongside Wayne, solidified my decision to pursue this as a career. It was an affirmation of my passion for cybersecurity and its critical role in the corporate landscape.
What was the best part of your internship?
The highlight of my internship was the weekly Friday meetings with the executives. These sessions provided us IT interns with an in-depth overview of the various sectors within IT, their roles, and their interdependencies. This was a great opportunity to understand the bigger picture of IT operations in an enterprise setting.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
Wayne was a mentor to me during the internship. He was always there to answer my questions, give me advice, and help me navigate through the field. He was the one who encouraged me to schedule a certification exam. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but with the date set, I studied more than I might have otherwise, and I passed! Lee made a big impact on me. He trusted us with some interesting projects, which allowed us to gain some real hands-on experience. He was a great support throughout the internship and really helped me to learn and grow in my role. Both made my time at FrankCrum a lot better and way more memorable. The help desk, Mike and Hayden in particular, made my experience more enjoyable and helped me with any questions I had. I’d also like to thank all the executives who took us to lunch each Friday.
CORPORATE INTERNS
Brianna James
School: FIU (Florida International University)
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Human Resource Management
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I found FrankCrum through LinkedIn! I live 5 minutes away from the office.
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
I have worked with 8 different cross function departments for the PEO company – so many things. One thing I did was review applicant resumes for job positions within the company. I also pitched a sales promotion for end of year sales to Matt Crum.
What’s one big thing your learned while interning at FrankCrum?
One big takeaway that I learned is to never assume and to never be afraid to put yourself out there. It was a little intimidating learning new process each week especially as this is my first office experience. In order to grow you have to get out of your comfort zone and I am thankful for this opportunity.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
Since I was able to intern many departments, I explored areas that I may not have thought of in my future. Now I have become more opened minded to new possibilities because of this experience.
What was the best part of your internship?
On a personal note, I enjoyed getting to know and form relationships with each department. It made the internship less stressful. As for professionally, I enjoyed learning all the departments because it helps me understand not just one position but how each department depends on and works with the others.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
Yes! I am grateful that every department I have worked with has been so welcoming and kind to me. I would like to mention Gabby Pereira, Angie Garcia, and Sarah Tupper. Throughout my time interning at FrankCrum they have helped me excel by pushing me out of my comfort zone to help me make the most out of my internship. As I go back to school in Miami, I will cherish the memories and experiences gained during this internship.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at FrankCrum?
I am happy that I got the chance to be the first business operations intern at FrankCrum and hope that I made an impact on each department. Once I graduate college, I hope to return. 😊
Hailey Kurella
School: University of Tampa
Grade Level: Senior
Major: Graphic Design, Minor in Marketing
How did you hear about the internship program at FrankCrum?
I heard about this internship from a friend of mine in one of my classes. We both were looking for internships and would help one another try to find opportunities that would work well for us. He ended up sending it to me from LinkedIn to apply and fortunately I got the interview and now can say I am enjoying this internship opportunity at FrankCrum!
What are some things you worked on during your internship?
Some of the things I have gotten to help work on include: Koozie design for FCS, create social banners for Facebook and Linked in, design email banners for a new campaign for FWCI, work on flyers and create forms, help to edit an e-book design, helped to come up with conceptual ideas for an AD, and help with other various things that involves creativity.
What’s one big thing you learned while interning at FrankCrum?
One thing that I learned at FrankCrum is how beneficial collaboration is. Working with the marketing team was such a great experience to observe and be involved in meetings related to new projects and how every person brings a different mindset and set of knowledge to the table which enables the team to be successful. Also being able to work alongside Laura Francis was really inspiring to see what her creative process is like and the different methods she uses for starting and completing various kinds of projects. One aspect that I am very grateful for being able to have learned in this internship is the application of my creative skills toward real life projects. Designing is one thing but being able to know how to save things for print or include certain elements like sizing and different color modes enabled me to understand how to make my designs appropriate for where they were going to live. Whether that be in a book, a digital poster, an ad, or even a fillable form.
How did your internship experience impact your ideas about your future career?
This has impacted my ideas for my future career because I was able to explore one of the avenues that I can take with my major. Having a graphic design degree with a minor in marketing was a good decision on my part, and I am now able to see how it affects me in the real world because in this internship I got to work in the marketing department. I was able to see both sides of my education being able to design and learning how to market better and what each role involves. So being able to see both sides of design and marketing I think has helped me learn how to be more well-rounded as a candidate for future jobs.
What was the best part of your internship?
The best part of my internship was getting to help Laura with designing different projects for various parts of FrankCrum. She was very helpful and taught me a lot. I also enjoyed getting to know other employees here withing the Marketing team. Having lunch with the team was one of my favorite parts in getting to know the marketing team and how amazing and knowledgeable everyone is. Being able to design various kinds of work was interesting to me and it was one of the best parts because I got to do something that I am wanting to pursue as my career.
Are there any staff members you would single out who made your internship better or more memorable?
The staff member that made my internship more memorable was Laura. I enjoyed being able to see her creative process and how it differed for each project. I loved being able to work alongside her and collaborate with her, which really made me feel a part of the process of projects. She shared many resources with me that I think will enable me to be a better designer in the future and I am very grateful to have been able to work with her.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at FrankCrum?
I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I really enjoyed being able to see how the environment is here and it is nice to see how friendly and family-like that everyone is here.
Learn more about our internship program here.
