Another great Scholar Outing. We enjoyed a food tour on Friday, aside from a little rain, the day was perfect- What food did you enjoy most scholars? What cultural nugget did you find most fascinating?

Digital Day Reflection

Digital Innovation Day provided valuable insight into Fairway's initiatives to redefine itself through the power of technology.  As an avid Amazon shopper, it was interesting to learn about the enormous business opportunity that Amazon provides to players on the other side of the cashier transaction: vendors - I learned that Amazon commands 1/3 marketshare of US e-commerce sales, which allows companies like ETA and Daigger to gain incredible reach and sales.  I also found a lot of value in the Google session that highlighted key changes in AdWords and Google Analytics and best practices to optimize search engine marketing initiatives.  Steven Woldenberg's advice will help me in my keyword search project at ETA hand2mind this summer.

Summer Scholar Program 2012! This year we welcome 8 new summer scholars, joining us from 5 nationally ranked universities. Our welcome luncheon was held on June 18 and our team kick off meeting was on the 20th. We introduced two digital summer project opportunities. Away we go!

Digital Day

We hosted our first Digital Innovation Day on July 2nd.  It was an opportunity for all of our team members to hear about many of the exciting initiatives within our individual organizations.    What were your key take aways?

How was your first 30 days?

Hello all of our new ETA hires, as we sit down for our "New Hire Lunch with the President"  I wanted to hear how your on-boarding experiences were?  What did we do right, what can we do better?  I hope you are feeling Welcomed.

Farewell Fairway,

It didn’t occur to me until yesterday that today was my last day here at ETA/Cuisenaire. I’m truly thankful for the experience I had this summer and the people I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. It feels sad that I am leaving while everyone is here to stay and continue to work together as a team. I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I first arrived. Compared to my only other internship experience, I can say that this one certainly triumphs it. Despite my little work experience, the marketing team here at ETA/Cuisenaire took it upon themselves to make me feel welcome and part of the team, and I will always be grateful to have worked with such talented and fun people. So, I guess what I’m saying is I’ll miss you guys J

Best, Jenny

I have always taken pride in my Sunday ritual during the school year. I wake up around 9 or 10, get bagels and coffee, then hit the library. Up until now, I had considered it an accomplishment to be able to sit in a chair for 6+ hours. When preparing for a test or a paper, I could even make it to 10-12 hours in the library. However, I always found myself sprinting out of the library when it was time to go. I found cubicles too enclosed, staring at neutral colors boring, waking up before 8 unheard of, and remembering to pack a lunch impossible.

Naturally, I was a bit nervous to take on my first real "desk job." Working at Heathrow Scientific has been a delightfully pleasant surprise. I discovered that having cubicle buddies is rather enjoyable, having an unlimited, free coffee supply keeps me perky, and having time to cook a nice meal or watch a movie at the end of the day does great things for my happiness. Most of all, I have really appreciated the conversations I have had with the people I work with. As Sarah mentioned, the grass is always greener on the the other side. Though I find some truth to this statement, working at Heathrow this summer has eliminated much of what I found daunting about the "real world," making both sides a little closer to being equally green.

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that nothing is easy. Full-time job or full-time class load, each has its benefits and challenges.

During the school year, I would stay up late and chat online with my brother (working in Beijing, 12 hours ahead) while he was at work. We would always argue about whose life is harder. I’d complain about how he could go home and relax at the end of the day—about how he never had to stay up till 3-4AM to study for exams or write papers. He’d tell me about how exhausted he feels at the end of each day and how stressful work can be when the economy is fluctuating. While, there are times at Northwestern when I feel tired, unhealthy, and completely overwhelmed, I am still eternally grateful that I am still a student. Maybe, I feel that a full-time job is more difficult because of all the responsibilities that come along with it. In 2 years time, I’ll be hopefully employed and as I like to say, “a real person.” I’ll need to worry about bills, rent, cooking, etc. On top of that, I’ll need to work hard to keep my job and hopefully move up in the business world. When it comes to a full-time job, it’s not just poor grades or disappointed parents if you accidentally mess up an exam or falter, it’s your livelihood.