Internships

From Taiwan to Turkey, Champlain’s International Business students enjoy hands-on internships with multinational companies and organizations such as the Vermont World Trade Office and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Read about the internship experiences of two international business students below.

Elizabeth Claflin ’04, Jericho, Vermont

Talk about real-world experience! While other students hit the beaches during 2003 spring break, International Business student Elizabeth Claflin ’04 took part in a Vermont Chamber of Commerce trade mission to Taiwan and China -- the first student ever to participate in the event. She joined a team of Vermont professionals on the 12-day mission, which was aimed at recruiting international students to Vermont colleges and promoting Vermont products and services in these markets. The trip reinforced what Elizabeth had learned about the importance of cross-cultural communication and understanding, as well as how to negotiate and implement international transactions -- and it promises to make a wonderful addition to her resume, too.

To read the full article about Elizabeth, click here. To read about the experience in Elizabeth's own words, click here.

“I’ve gotten a great foundation of international business from my courses at Champlain,” says Elizabeth Caflin. “My experience as part of the trade mission to Asia made those courses come alive.”
- Elizabeth Claflin ’04, Jericho, Vermont

Karl Hellstrand ’04, Essex Junction, VT and Sala, Sweden

Below is an excerpt from a Burlington Free Press article titled “Economy, career strategies drive rise in college students seeking internships” by Sue Robinson.

“Karl Hellstrand evolved his idea for an internship during an international business class working with Green Mountain Coffee on a marketing project. During a presentation to the company last winter, the Champlain College senior asked managers at the Waterbury-based specialty coffee company if they had any openings for an intern.

His request could not have come at a better time, with an employee heading off on maternity leave, said Claudia Lovell, international sales manager at Green Mountain Coffee.

"I envisioned myself wearing three different hats for the summer when Karl came along," Lovell said.

Since then, the two have traveled to New York City where they met with an import-export bank and a Turkish distributor. He watched as the Turkish dealer told Lovell that his country's economy could not support Green Mountain Coffee right now and she tried to work out a deal with him to sell coffee to Turkey's surrounding countries instead.”

To read the full article, click here.

"I don’t think my internship at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters could have been a better match. Getting a chance to work with customers from all over the world is exactly the kind of real life exposure I was looking for. In studying International Business, a big emphasis is put on understanding and being sensitive to other cultures. I gained first-hand knowledge of this and am grateful for it."
- Karl Hellstrand ’04, Essex Junction, VT and Sala, Sweden