Pitching, Problem Solving, and Professional Growth: Babson Students Share Summer Internship Success

You know the sign in the Reynolds Campus Center: “Babson College runs on Dunkin’”. It’s a corporate slogan you see in Dunkin’ shops across the country, but for Luciana Gomez ’27, it also defines her summer.  

The first-generation college student spent summer 2025 in a 10-week program as a franchise finance intern at Dunkin’ Brands in Canton, Massachusetts. As part of the program, she worked on a team tasked with enhancing the digital experience for guests. Their solution leveraged AI to offer features such as customizable drink recommendations and personalized offers. 

“The project allowed me to combine strategic thinking with practical execution,” Gomez says. “I also was able to refine my leadership, collaboration, and presentation skills.” If those last three elements sound familiar, it’s because they are learning outcomes you find in all Babson classes, from Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship (FME) to more advanced liberal arts and science courses.  

There’s an expectation that Babson classes will prepare you for the professional world without sacrificing the academic experience, and there’s no better place to test that than a summer internship. Students own projects and see firsthand how big a role their education plays in their professional future, while gaining clarity on what they may want to do after graduation. 

For the most recent graduating classes, over 85 percent of graduates had at least one internship while at Babson. In 2025, opportunities took students to nearby locations and as far as Asia and Europe to showcase a Babson education. Here is what a few learned on the job:  

Ava Beery ’28, a native of Oklahoma, worked mainly with the marketing department at Linked Finance in Dublin for her internship, an opportunity she received as a recipient of the CIEE Frederick Douglass–Daniel O’Connell Global Fellowship. As she developed personas, wrote case studies and blogs, and created pay-per-click ads, FME and her experience with Babson Entrepreneurial Advertising & Marketing (BEAM), a program run by the Babson Marketing Society, were top of mind. 

What project are you most proud of? 

“The rebranding and strategy I developed for Linked Finance’s social media. I completely overhauled the original approach to create a new plan aimed at boosting engagement and better representing the brand. I saw the value of being proactive and taking initiative. I learned to look for opportunities to contribute, suggest ideas, and follow through to keep projects moving.” 

Gamaelle Charles ’27 

As a private credit intern at TPG Twin Brook Capital Partners in Chicago, Gamaelle Charles ’27 drew on her financial markets class and her experience in the Babson Analyst Initiative as she helped integrate AI into their workflows and supported the associates and team leads. She came across the opportunity as part of the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program. 

What is your biggest professional takeaway from your internship? 

“It solidified my desire to work on the buy-side of finance after college. Everyone I worked with was incredibly knowledgeable and, most importantly, passionate about their work. Typically, associates don’t speak much during investment committee meetings; however, that was the exact opposite at TPG, where associates are encouraged to share their analysis and perspectives. In the future, I want to work at a firm where my voice is heard.” 

Luciana Gomez ’27 

Gomez cites her Dunkin’ internship as reinforcing her desire to work in the restaurant industry. An opportunity she found at the Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development’s (CCD) annual fall business fair, her time at Dunkin’ demonstrated the value of building relationships across departments and finding cross-functional solutions. 

How did your Babson education help you? 

“Our business case challenge was essentially a high-level pitch to the company, where we presented an innovative solution supported by projected costs, ROI, an implementation timeline, and operational considerations. My FME experience taught me how to effectively communicate ideas, structure a persuasive pitch, and work in a team with people with different work styles. Those skills translated directly to the real-world setting of my internship, helping me collaborate efficiently and deliver a strong, well-researched presentation to industry professionals.” 

Ava Said ’26 

Ava Said ’26, originally from the Detroit metro area, spent her summer in Reston, Virginia, as a sales development representative intern for Google Public Sector. She created tailored campaigns to highlight Google’s newest developments and AI technology, and the value and impact it has on federal agencies. After finding the internship on LinkedIn, the CCD helped fine-tune her resume. 

What lessons will you bring back to campus? 

“The importance of being adaptable and proactive. The sales cycle in the public sector is unique, and I learned how to tailor my approach to meet the specific needs of government clients. This experience solidified my interest in a career in technology sales, where I can continue to build on the skills I’ve learned in communication, strategic thinking, and relationship building.” 

Everett Steven ’27

Minneapolis-area resident Everett Steven ’27 interned at biotech company Ento Industries in Singapore, with a focus on sales and marketing. His main tasks included curating social content, along with research and sales. The internship was made possible through a pilot partnership between the Honors Program and Absolute Internship. 

How does this internship relate to your career goals? 

“Sustainability will always be a major factor in my career search, but I enjoyed designing systems, improving processes, and critical thinking the most. A growth mindset, curiosity, and a strong sense of self-efficacy allowed me to succeed and learn the most while abroad. 

“While technical topics from business analytics and operations management surfaced, the experiential learning and soft skills from FME were invaluable. Green and Blue Technology Solutions, Socio-Ecological Systems: Urban Systems, and Biomimicry were also helpful and enabled me to speak with confidence on sustainability topics and create engaging educational content.” 

Posted in Outcomes

Tagged Career, Class of 2026, Class of 2027, Class of 2028, Undergraduate, Sustainability

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