Keyan Weaver recently completed his internship with APEX. His thoughts about the experience are below:
I have learned a wide variety of things in my time as an intern with APEX, and it will definitely serve as one of the most beneficial learning experiences of my life.
When I first got to APEX, I had almost no office experience; I didn’t even know how to make copies. Now, I can answer phones, water plants, and print copies like a true veteran. All jokes aside, I am thankful that I have been able to acquire the necessary office skills to survive in today’s business world.
Going beyond learning how to perform day-to-day office activities, this internship has taught me everything I know about both business and regional development. I have seen the steps that it takes for economic development to be successful, and I have learned why economic development is so important. My supervisors have included me on a number of research projects ranging from researching potential businesses for our area, to obtaining the regional information necessary to complete RFIs. I believe actually participating in these research projects has taught me much more than any class ever could.
I have also had the opportunity to interact and network with many top-level executives and business owners through APEX investor-member meetings, which has taught me how to be professional and confident in a business environment.
All in all, this definitely wasn’t the coffee-getting/file-organizing work that many people think of when they hear the word “internship”. I have learned many things, both about economic development and about life in general, which will be of great value to me in my future. Thank you, APEX team! And thank you Mr. Connoy for this scholarship opportunity.
