Elevate's Summer Intern Is Here - Meet Stephanie

There's a new friendly face in Kearney, Nebraska. You can catch her frequenting Kitts's Coffee Shop for a tea or listening to her favorite worship music. 

We're pleased to introduce to you our intern, Stephanie! 


Welcome Stephanie! You’re from sunny California. How did you hear about Elevate?

I heard about Elevate through my church in the Bay Area. I met with one of Elevate's board members for coffee. Then in that conversation I asked him if he knew any possible internships that are focused on international business for transformation and he pointed me in this direction. 


What’s a typical day like for you back in your home state?

A typical day for me looks like waking up by the beach and going for a nice morning run as the sun rises over the waters, then I longboard through the palm trees to get to my classes. Just joking! There are palm trees, but I live in the valley. I'm an hour inland from LA and 40 mins from the beach.

I attend Azusa Pacific University, so a typical day for me in California looks like waking up, going to classes, doing homework, and hanging out with friends. 


Using 3 words, how would your friends describe you?

Confident, joyful, genuine


You’re an International Business Major. What excites you the most about your time here at Elevate?

What excites me the most about interning at Elevate is to be in a business that is very people minded. I’ve only been here for a little bit and I can tell that they love others really well. Sitting in meetings and hearing how much they care about their partners thriving in business and making sure that they are honoring them over anything else just says it all. I’m excited to be able to learn more by just observing the way they do business. When looking for a company to intern with I wanted to make sure it was one that really had a heart for others first, not purely money and business. I’m really glad that I was introduced to Elevate and I’m able to intern here!


We’re blessed to have you help us in operations and marketing this summer! What are you excited about most in these roles or areas of work?

I study business and it is different from actually doing it, so I’ve been excited to actually put what I’ve learned in the classroom to use. I picked to be in operations because I really wanted to be challenged in the organizational side of business since I’m more comfortable with being creative, and I picked marketing since I naturally enjoy creative outlets. So, I’ve been excited to learn more practicals about marketing.


You enjoy the creatives! Music, fashion, art, embroidery… care to elaborate on your passion for these?

Yes! I love music! I originally was a music major before I felt called to business. So, I play guitar, sing, and songwrite. I also love fashion. I always think it is so much fun to dress up or play around with different outfits. I’ve been experimenting more with my clothes more recently while being in college. Strangely, fashion has really taught me about confidence. I like art, I think it's cool, I’m not very good at it, but I like to look at it. And embroidering… I suck at it. I’m trying to get good at it but, I've only embroidered two tee shirts... I’m too impatient.    

How do you think creativity and International Business coincide? What role do you think creativity plays in International Business development?

I definitely think that creativity and business go hand in hand. However, when I first changed my major to business I was super bummed because I thought I couldn't be creative; I thought I'd only have to do math. It was not until last summer where it finally made sense to me that you could have both and you need both.

I went to a conference and a women talked about how the sales of tea could eventually replace the production of drugs in a particular nation because tea is making more money than the drugs are. Then it hit, wow! You can be creative in business and you can be a difference maker. 


OK, we know you’re Italian and love cooking… tell us your best dish. 

Since living in an apartment and having my own kitchen this past semester I have been having fun and trying out new recipes. My best dish is pasta all’amatriciana and it is a Roman dish with crushed tomatoes, bacon, onions, chili peppers, and some cheese on top. It’s super yummy! I learned to make it because when I came back from my study abroad trip in Rome I was craving it and I couldn't find it anywhere. Now, I really want to learn how to make more dishes because I really do enjoy cooking! 

Final thoughts.. What do you want to try or do during your time in the Midwest? 

I’m not really sure. I love horses and am equally in awe of their beauty and a little scared because they are huge majestic animals. So, I would love to see wild horses. I don’t know if that is even possible, but I think that would be really cool!