As the first marketing intern for ToBa, Inc., a Minnesota-based food distribution company with a presence in Grand Island, Neb., Kelsey Mayfield’s duties included a little bit of everything:
- Developing a new logo for Garden Variety, the company’s produce line.
- Creating a company-wide protocol for welcoming all new customers to ToBa.
- Assisting with the launch of ONcore, a new website allowing ToBa customers to develop menus for schools, hospitals and assisted living facilities.
In nearly all her tasks, she’s applied lessons learned and skills developed in her marketing and communications courses at Hastings College.
“In my classes, I have learned proper ways to give presentations,” said the Marketing major from Wood River, Neb.
Since she was required present the customer protocol to the CEO and Vice President of Marketing and Sales at ToBa, she was grateful to have had classroom experience.
“I was able to use the content in the classes to interact with my co-workers and bosses in a professional setting, to understand accounting terms and to conduct consumer behavior,” she said.
Hastings College’s classrooms aren’t the only place Kelsey has honed skills critical to professional success. She credits her participation in the Hastings College Band and the Bronco Women’s Golf team with preparing her for this internship.
“Through both activities, I learned to manage my time, work on teams, create relationships and be accountable for doing what I say I will do,” she said.
Kelsey enjoyed the challenge the internship provided.
“I did not know anything about food distributors before interning at ToBa, so I have actually learned a lot about the food distribution industry,” she said. “I have enjoyed the experience, and it may be something I decide to stick with.”
