July 25 is National Intern Day!
Several college students are interning across the country at different top companies this year, including Nike. Four of their interns are Claire Rafson, a graduate student at Stanford University; Seth Petty, a Cornell University graduate; Ashanti Eubanks, an undergraduate student from North Carolina Central University; and Téa Vasquez, a Howard University undergraduate.
These talented and driven students embody Nike’s famous “Just Do It” slogan. Starting in June, they jumped into their paid roles with a willingness to learn new parts of themselves through unfamiliar tasks. While all of them have outstanding resumes, they credit the internship for their newfound strengths and outlook on “taking a chance.”
“Larissa Herbert, my recruiter. She really got me going. Because what I’m doing here is not tied to my major at all. I know nothing about operations at all,” Vasquez, a D1 athlete said. “I’m majoring in sports management, minoring in Spanish. I was like, ‘Are you sure you want me here?’ She was like, ‘We picked you because you fit.'”
Rafson’s sneakerhead dreams became a reality after she was accepted as a late recruit as a global brand management intern. Before receiving her acceptance letter, the 27-year-old admitted to pulling out all of her Nike sneaker boxes for manifestation purposes.
Fast forward a few months later, and Rafson is interning at Nike in a variety of marketing positions. Though she found some of her intern assignments intimidating, she appreciated the experience she gained.
“I feel like recently there’s just a big unlock, and I feel like [it’s the] Nike [mentality] now that I see it. It’s like, ‘Wait, no. I don’t need to be the one to decide that I’m not right for the job. Let me try it. Let me take the shot at whatever I want.'”
The Tri-Brand Internship’s recruitment staff selects top talent from colleges and universities. When Petty unknowingly introduced himself to Larry Miller, chairman of the Jordan brand, during their recruitment run in Michigan, he had a moment of alignment.
“There was a Michigan Sports Business Conference. I was just randomly hanging around the business school and had on sweats. I’m there with my boys and I see this Black gentleman, and he’s just standing there looking fresh,” Petty said.
When studying as an undergrad, the now 27-year-old says he was willing to take risks that led to his current position. He is currently an intern with Nike’s APLA marketing team and remains close to Miller.
“I just went up and I said, ‘Hi, sir. I have no clue who you are, but you look like you have some level of importance,'” Petty said. “And that guy ended up being Larry Miller, who was the president of the Jordan brand and is now the chairman of the Jordan brand. And he spent a good hour just talking with me, telling me his journey.”
As part of their training, all three of Nike’s interns undertake meaningful projects, compete in a Shark Tank-inspired competition, gain critical, hands-on professional experience, and receive mentorship from managers who help them apply their studies. For incoming interns, a word of advice from Eubanks says to give school your best efforts.
“When it comes to school, I would say, it’s going to sound cliché, but work hard. That working hard transfers,” Eubanks said. “You just have to work hard and love what you do because I’ve noticed everybody here at Nike, first of all, loves what they do. They are excited to come in, and then they work hard at what they do.”
