Every summer, The Companion Group family gets a little bit bigger. As schools go on their summer breaks, our office welcomes a new group of interns who come to learn and gain valuable real-world work experience. In exchange, we get a shot in the arm of youthful enthusiasm and fresh, new perspectives!

The goals of our “Support a Student” internship program are to “expose young people (15-18 years old) to a paid work experience in which their particular skills or interests can be applied and honed. They not only learn about our business environment, but they also learn about workplace responsibility, timeliness, professionalism and what they can expect when they finish school and look for a job as an adult,” according to CEO Chuck Adams. He continues: “Each summer 3 to 4 teenagers join us for 2-4 weeks each and leave with money to start a bank account as well as a work experience that will shape their thinking about their own future career or serve them well when they return to school in the fall.”

One of our most recent interns, Nikki, was especially excited to put her love of cooking to work. She assisted our Culinary Manager, Nick Wellhausen, in tasks ranging from recipe testing, product development, food styling for photoshoots, and even cooking a huge (and delicious!) staff lunch. “It barely even felt like work! It was great how hands-on everything was, especially with the salt plate cookbook. It’s awesome to think that a suggestion I made may have an effect on the final outcome of a TCG product,” she said.

There was also some practical, if less exciting, experience gained that will follow Nikki through her education, both into a potential career but also as a consumer. “Even though I wasn’t directly involved in all parts of the process, I got to see behind the scenes action of what goes into making a product from start to finish. From testing and tweaking prototypes to naming it to designing the packaging to selling it to buyers, there are so many pieces that contribute to the finished product that people usually don’t think about when purchasing a product in the store. It gave me a new appreciation for how much work goes into a single item.”

Overall, Nikki says that she had a great time interning at The Companion Group. “My experience was really fun and I’d love to come back again next summer!” she said.

Niki Gross

Niki is the Marketing Communications Manager for The Companion Group. She is responsible for marketing and communications strategies, from advertising to websites. She is a wife, mother, yogi, and lover of cheeseburgers, proper grammar and a strong work ethic!