RaeLynn joins us as a 2018 intern from Haskell Indian Nations University. She will spend her time with Travois and Tepa this summer as part of our joint internship. She is majoring in business administration and will be working with the Travois Asset Management and Compliance team.
Read on for a Q&A as she introduces herself!
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I was born in southeastern Oklahoma. My dad joined the Air Force when I was five years old, so I have lived in many other states and countries including Iceland, Germany and Japan. Living overseas gave me the chance to travel to many places including Italy, Paris, London and Belgium. My favorite place to live was in Germany because of the festivals and food that they had all year around!
I have two younger sisters and one older brother. I also have a miniature poodle-bichon-frisé mix named Lily! I am an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Q: What has college been like so far?
A: I am currently a senior at Haskell Indian Nations University, and I will hopefully earn my bachelor’s degree in business administration by spring 2019. My favorite classes at Haskell were marketing and business statistics.
My favorite professor at Haskell Indian Nations University is Kinis Meyer. She is an amazing professor who is also my advisor. She goes above and beyond for her students and goes out of her way to help everyone. I am very grateful to have had her as my professor/advisor because she has truly helped me along my academic path.
Q: What does this internship mean to you?
A: I think this internship with Tepa and Travois is just amazing. This internship gives students from Haskell Indian Nations University the chance to not only work with companies that are involved in the Native community but also have a chance to gain experience in how a business works.
One of my career goals was to work in a community where I would be involved with my tribe and also involved with other tribes. This internship is giving me the chance to accomplish that really early on, and I am really thankful for that.
Q: What do you hope to learn in your internship? What are your future goals?
A: I hope to learn many things from this internship including how the different departments at each company are run. I am very interested in how they operate within each division especially the marketing division. With this internship, I hope to gain more skills and experience that can help prepare me for my future career.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: An accomplishment I am most proud of is how well I have kept up my grades in college. When I was in high school I didn’t ever push myself to try my hardest and I wasn’t focused on school as much. After graduating high school and starting college, I told myself that I would try to do my best and attempt to get straight-A’s every semester despite any obstacles that may come. I am pretty proud that every semester I have attended at Haskell, I have made the dean’s list or president’s list.
Q: Who has the most influence in your life?
A: My parents definitely have the most influence in my life. They have taught me so much and have given me so much advice throughout life. Both my parents are very understanding people who have always encouraged me to do anything that I set my mind to.
Q: Who’s the one person who makes you laugh the hardest?
A: My dad is definitely one of the people in my life who makes me laugh a lot He pretty much likes to tell jokes 24/7 and is rarely in a serious mood. Whenever I am feeling stressed or upset about something, he knows exactly what to say to cheer me up.
Fill in the blank:
1. On weekends, you’ll find me: Trying to catch up on my Netflix shows and attempting to organize my apartment!
2. My favorite place I’ve traveled was: Paris, France. I got to travel with my best friend and her family, and it was an amazing experience. The food, historical monuments, and activities were so exciting.
3. My worst travel experience was: Having to stay at a base airport in Hawaii for a week. My family and I were trying to get a flight out back to Okinawa, Japan, and we ended up waiting about a week to catch one.
4. A happy memory is: When I first got to meet my dog, Lily. I was able to meet her when she was just a tiny puppy, and it was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life.
5. My first car was a: A pink cube that my parents gave to me when I lived in Okinawa, Japan.
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