When Eastern Kentucky University junior Lucy Burkhart entered the Patterson Scholar program, a scholarship offered by the Department of Management, Marketing, and International Business (MMIB) that gives $2,000 annually to high-achieving business students, she expected to grow into a focused student and capable businesswoman.
She didn’t expect that it would lead her to one of the most prestigious internship programs in the country.
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is a non-profit organization that provides elite college students with opportunities to work and learn in the competitive environment of Washington D.C.
The program, which boasts more than 50,000 alumni, offers internship placements in nearly every field, including media and communications, science and technology, law and criminal justice, and many more. Burkhart, of Pineville, Kentucky, is one of several EKU students accepted this year. She has accepted a marketing position with InterAction, an alliance organization of nongovernmental organizations committed to working with the world’s poor and vulnerable.
As a marketing major, Burkhart is excited for “an opportunity to gain work experience in a city with a unique and thriving business atmosphere.” She believes the experience will help prepare her for a future working to make the world a better place.
“Not only will I gain hands on work experience in my field of study,” she said, “but I will be able to network with business professionals from different types of major organizations.”
Even before receiving the internship, Burkhart was widely recognized at Eastern “as an excellent student, both in and outside of the classroom,” according to Dr. Lana Carnes, MMIB chair. “She provides leadership to the department through recruiting incoming freshmen, participating in a phonathon to retain admitted EKU students, and being a role model for all current students in her major classes.”
Examples of that leadership include Burkhart’s visit to a high school to talk with students about careers in the business field, and her participation in MMIB’s Management Case Development Workshop and Competition.
Burkhart, a 2015 graduate of Bell County High School, realizes the impact those opportunities have had on her growth as a person. She credits the Patterson Scholar Program and EKU Honors for “challenging me academically and giving me the chance to represent them.”
Burkhart explained that the scholarship, along with the constant support of EKU faculty and staff, “have inspired me every day to not only be a better business professional, but an overall person as well. I have a grown as a student, friend, sister, and daughter.”
Burkhart doesn’t have any definite career plans for her future, but she continues to work hard.
“I hope to show my future employers that I have demonstrated dedication and commitment hard work and passion for my given field.”
-- by Yasmin White, Student Writer, EKU Communications and Brand Management