Fenglin Zhao dreams of a career in finance. A rising sophomore, she decided she wanted to spend the summer working in New York City even if she couldn't land an internship in the financial sector. Fortunately for her, a former employer tipped her off to an internship with his company, International Enterprise Singapore, which Zhao secured for the summer.
Zhao was one of more than 20 Hamiltonians who received college funding to participate in a summer internship. Work experience is becoming more and more necessary for college students but many opportunities are unpaid and require students to fund their own housing and living expenses as well as working for free.
Thanks to alumni and parent donations, Hamilton students can apply for funding to support them while they work in a field of interest with an organization that cannot pay them. Though Zhao worked in an unpaid internship, she received a stipend from the Summer Internship Support Fund supported by John Rice '78, a competitive grant which is awarded every year to provide cost of living assistance to students who might have insufficient resources to fully support undertaking a summer internship.
IE Singapore is an office under the Singaporean Department of Trade. It has over 30 branches around the world which promote international commerce of Singaporean culture. Zhao worked in the Food and Beverage Division of the New York IE Singapore offices which oversee the marketing of Singaporean cuisine in the U.S. and Latin America.
"Singapore has very unique multi-cultural and multi-racial cuisines," Zhao explained. The ethnic background of the country is a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian which results in a nuanced and blended national cuisine. Zhao explained that the economic prosperity of Singapore has made national businesses less motivated to invest abroad, which is why there is so little Singaporean food sold in the U.S. Part of IE Singapore's mission is to introduce the cuisine to the U.S. market and give it equal standing with Chinese, Japanese and other Asian foods. "We have great potential," said Zhao.
Zhao's main responsibility was marketing research into potential buyers, which she enjoyed. "It's great the responsibilities my supervisor gives me," said Zhao, who accompanied her boss to meetings and conferences, including several high-profile discussions with the Singaporean bank. She was also very active in assisting the company with the Summer Fancy Food Show, a large New York food convention which featured more than 30,000 presenters. IE Singapore was responsible for organizing the Singaporean booths and working with the presenters on methods for effectively selling their products. "It was really impressive," said Zhao proudly of the effort her company had made at the Fancy Food Show. "I had so much fun."
Although Zhao is interested in a career in finance, she has enjoyed her summer in high-power marketing very much. "It's really good learning for me," she said. She has used her time in the city well, chatting with her coworkers and Hamilton alumni to build a network a senior might envy. She also loved living in New York. "I'm a city girl," she said. "I feel like I belong there."
As a member of the Class of 2010 with a Hamilton-funded internship, Zhao is a good person to be giving advice to her classmates. "You have to be very aggressive," she said. "Especially if you're a first-year. It's never too early to start. Use all your resources…you have to be ready." She strongly emphasized the importance of the Career Center, and encouraged students to talk to people around them.
During the year, Zhao is a member of the Hamilton choir, a Chinese TA, an economics tutor and grader, and an assistant in the Art and Art History Department. She will spend this year as the RA of Babbitt.
-- by Lisbeth Redfield
Zhao was one of more than 20 Hamiltonians who received college funding to participate in a summer internship. Work experience is becoming more and more necessary for college students but many opportunities are unpaid and require students to fund their own housing and living expenses as well as working for free.
Thanks to alumni and parent donations, Hamilton students can apply for funding to support them while they work in a field of interest with an organization that cannot pay them. Though Zhao worked in an unpaid internship, she received a stipend from the Summer Internship Support Fund supported by John Rice '78, a competitive grant which is awarded every year to provide cost of living assistance to students who might have insufficient resources to fully support undertaking a summer internship.
IE Singapore is an office under the Singaporean Department of Trade. It has over 30 branches around the world which promote international commerce of Singaporean culture. Zhao worked in the Food and Beverage Division of the New York IE Singapore offices which oversee the marketing of Singaporean cuisine in the U.S. and Latin America.
"Singapore has very unique multi-cultural and multi-racial cuisines," Zhao explained. The ethnic background of the country is a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian which results in a nuanced and blended national cuisine. Zhao explained that the economic prosperity of Singapore has made national businesses less motivated to invest abroad, which is why there is so little Singaporean food sold in the U.S. Part of IE Singapore's mission is to introduce the cuisine to the U.S. market and give it equal standing with Chinese, Japanese and other Asian foods. "We have great potential," said Zhao.
Zhao's main responsibility was marketing research into potential buyers, which she enjoyed. "It's great the responsibilities my supervisor gives me," said Zhao, who accompanied her boss to meetings and conferences, including several high-profile discussions with the Singaporean bank. She was also very active in assisting the company with the Summer Fancy Food Show, a large New York food convention which featured more than 30,000 presenters. IE Singapore was responsible for organizing the Singaporean booths and working with the presenters on methods for effectively selling their products. "It was really impressive," said Zhao proudly of the effort her company had made at the Fancy Food Show. "I had so much fun."
Although Zhao is interested in a career in finance, she has enjoyed her summer in high-power marketing very much. "It's really good learning for me," she said. She has used her time in the city well, chatting with her coworkers and Hamilton alumni to build a network a senior might envy. She also loved living in New York. "I'm a city girl," she said. "I feel like I belong there."
As a member of the Class of 2010 with a Hamilton-funded internship, Zhao is a good person to be giving advice to her classmates. "You have to be very aggressive," she said. "Especially if you're a first-year. It's never too early to start. Use all your resources…you have to be ready." She strongly emphasized the importance of the Career Center, and encouraged students to talk to people around them.
During the year, Zhao is a member of the Hamilton choir, a Chinese TA, an economics tutor and grader, and an assistant in the Art and Art History Department. She will spend this year as the RA of Babbitt.
-- by Lisbeth Redfield
