Being an intern in the Winter 2024 cohort of Driving Forward's Flagship Internship Program was a truly amazing experience. Initially I was attracted to the program due to it's limited time-frame and learning there would be access to the Udemy learning platform for interns during the course of the program. Little did I know, I would gain a plethora of other opportunities through this internship! Aside from their own learning path coursework through Udemy, I was also given the opportunity to select additional coursework relevant to my career goals. This was a significant advantage to me both for being able to earn the total hours necessary for the internship course credit through O.D.U. but also in terms of professional development. Although I was unable to meet my SMART Goal of obtaining a coaching certification through the Udemy platform (the business license provided did not have those courses available for our particular cohort), I was able to complete courses that put me one step ahead of where I need to be in pursuing my career goals upon graduation. For that, that I am extremely grateful.

 

The unique aspect of this internship was another reason I was drawn in. Driving Forward's internship functions as a Capstone Case Study program where we are assigned a corporate sponsor, who presents us with a specific challenge that we are to solve for them at the end of the ten weeks. Our corporate sponsor, FQA, a division of Impact Advisors, presented the challenge of having payer clients in the healthcare industry looking to determine how to move forward with the increased demand for coverage of GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Working on this Capstone Case Study as a part of Team Dynamic Mavericks, we dove right into an in-depth analysis of important factors such as determining the market size for these weight loss drugs, identifying and researching the key stakeholders, and presenting a case study for a specific payer stakeholder (in this case BCBS Texas) as a sample study on the merits of covering/expanding coverage for these weight loss drugs. I am proud to say that we concluded the program with Team Dynamic Mavericks winning the Innovation Award for most creative solution!

 

Aside from winning the Innovation Award, the wealth of education and training through the Udemy platform access, and the profession development training through the weekly speaker panel presentations, I can confidently say the best part of my time as an intern at Driving Forward was spent making connections. First, our coaches were wonderful, keeping us motivated and on track during the course of the program so our presentations would be tip-top. My personal assigned mentor (who also interviewed me for the internship) was such an invaluable resource to me! I cannot thank her enough for all the meetings, the advice, the guidance, and the pep talks -- especially having been sick with pneumonia the entire time! I have the distinct pleasure of continuing to be her mentee even after program end. I was able to connect and network with several of the Driving Forward staff and panelists, which led to some great conversations and the potential future opportunities. Additionally, I was able to meet and exceed my SMART Goal of connecting with three coaching professionals via LinkedIn, meeting virtually with each of them to discuss my businesses goals and potential future collaborations! This has led me to several networking opportunities locally that will catapult the launch of my resilience coaching business within the community.  Last, but certainly not least, I had the most amazing teammates for this cohort. They all really brought their A-game, each showcasing their strengths and lending their personal expertise to the presentation! As the most tenured intern on the team, and likely the cohort, I was incredibly proud to have collaborated and worked alongside them.

 

All in all, this internship was an opportunity I will keep close to heart. I am immensely proud to have completed this internship considering that I was battling pneumonia during the entirety of the program! Although this affected by ability to keep up with my SMART Goal of utilizing the Pomodoro Technique to limit stress and overwhelm, I still found it to be incredibly beneficial both professionally and personally. I look forward to the possibility of working with Driving Forward in the future perhaps as an alumni panelist, volunteer, or coach, if they would have me. I would absolutely recommend this opportunity to any other student looking for a unique internship program that is equally engaging, challenging, and rewarding!