Wadsworth Resident and Ashland University Business Management Student Selected as Best Intern Finalist for the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education's The Expys

2017 Mar 29

Ashland University student Karissa Magnacca of Wadsworth, Ohio, was selected as a Best Intern Finalist for the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education's The Expys.

She is the daughter of Joseph and Renee Magnacca of Wadsworth, Ohio, and is a 2013 graduate of Wadsworth Senior High School.

The Best Intern Finalists for the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education's The Expys is a special awards program that recognizes the best Northeast Ohio internships and co-ops, as well as the people that make them great. Magnacca, who interned at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is a finalist for the award.

The winner will be revealed at The Expys awards luncheon on April 19 at Windows on the River. A list of the finalists will appear in the upcoming issue of the CBC Magazine and online at the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education's website.

Magnacca said, "I had the incredible opportunity to work for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. I thought it would just be another internship where I would be doing the 'busy' work that most people don't want to do, but I was beyond wrong. I was in the action, getting to experience HR in the real world."

When asked what made her internship experience unique, Magnacca said, "My internship was unique because of the quality of instruction I had. If there was any question I had, it would be answered in great detail. I always felt welcomed and wanted - if anybody got a 'cool' job, they immediately asked me to join in! It was incredible."

She was surprised when she got the call about being a finalist, "I didn't even know I was recommended! But, I feel very honored that ODNR thinks so highly of me, as well as everyone at the Expys. It is also an honor to represent Ashland University."

Magnacca attributes her success to Ashland University as her classes helped to prepare her for the internship. Professor Kalamas, a professional instructor in business management, informed Magnacca about the internship opportunity. However, Magnacca feels that all of the business professors were encouraging and helped her to get on her feet in the professional world.

Khush Pittenger, a business professor and the Business and Economics Internship Coordinator, said, "Karissa represents the best of the College of Business Interns. She is very worthy of this award. Being nominated by her employer highlights the valuable contributions she made to ODNR; being selected by objectives expert-judges to be among the finalists demonstrates how outstanding a candidate she is and in my eyes - she is a winner already. Karissa is an impressive professional even at this young age. This is just the beginning of the accolades that are to come as she launches her career upon graduation. I wish her the best."

Ashland University, ranked in the top tier of colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2017, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) deeply values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###