Danielle Hyatt '16: Interning Her Way To IBM With Adelphi University

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Sept. 1, 2017 - PRLog -- For Adelphi University alumna Danielle Hyatt '16 from Wantagh, New York, finding the right internship as a marketing major in the  Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business was key to securing her current position as a designer in training at IBM (International Business Machines Corporation).

"I have designed and helped develop chatbots, apps, and websites. Along with design, I participate in market research as well as user testing," Hyatt said when asked about her role at IBM. "I guess you could say I do something new every day - which definitely keeps things exciting."

Hyatt didn't go straight from earning her B.A. to working at IBM, she first starting her journey into marketing when she was 13 years-old at local real estate office, Sas Real Estate, in her hometown with their digital and print marketing. While attending Adelphi, she secured a marketing internship at the Penn Mutual Life Planning Group with the help from Neil Halloran, adjunct professor, coordinator of Internships and member of Adelphi Business Advisory Board.

"Adelphi has been an invaluable part of who I am today, the relationships I have built with a handful of professors who actually care and want to see me succeed in life have helped me get to where I am now," said Hyatt about securing her internship. "I owe it to Professor Halloran for leading me to my internship with Penn Mutual as well as mentoring me throughout my college experience to make sure I was IBM ready."

At Penn Mutual, Hyatt had many responsibilities as an intern including creating and maintaining lead generation programs to generate new business, managing branding via social media campaigns, events, and recruiting activities, creating and distributing the Life Planning Group Agency Newsletter every quarter and contributing and monitoring the New Business Department for Life Insurance and Security New Business.

On top of these tasks, Hyatt also found time to attain her New York State Life, Accident, and Health license, but one of the more memorable moments from her internship was becoming involved in a video contest across all Penn Mutual offices and branches nationwide.

Taking the initiative, Hyatt and her co-workers created the fun video, which she directed and edited, called "A Day in the Life of a Penn Mutual Intern".

"We wanted to showcase how great our experience was and all the things we have learned," said Hyatt, whose video ended up winning first place within the entire organization. "Being a small office, we were determined to make ourselves known to the entire company."

For Hyatt, she certainly made herself standout at Penn Mutual. Dubbed as the "super intern", she ended up staying with Penn Mutual for two and a half years while studying at Adelphi and was  referred to as an associate, rather than an intern.

Now, her future's looking bright at IBM where she designs and helps develop chatbots, apps, and websites, participates in market research as well as user testing and is currently working on a project to help veterans by assisting them through their transition back to civilian life by using digital channels and APIs to understand their needs.

"I always find it challenging to have career plans for the future," explained Hyatt when asked about what's next for her career. "Instead, I make a promise to myself - to work hard, to make a positive impact with the work I do, to achieve the unachievable, and most importantly, to be me. If I accomplish all of those items, I believe I can and will accomplish everything life throws at me."

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning.

Adelphi University is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university offering exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training with particular strength in its Core Four—Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness. Adelphi is dedicated to transforming students' lives through small classes, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support student success.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1896, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. Today Adelphi serves over 7,600 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York—just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities—and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, and online.

More than 100,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, caring citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world.