From health care to business, Battle Creek students gain valuable experience at internships

Eight diverse Battle Creek businesses and organizations had extra help during the summer from 15 Grand Valley students who completed internships as part of their pipeline cohort.

Mariah Rudolph, a sophomore who plans to study nursing, said she enjoyed the hands-on experience from her internship at Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. Her internship started in July after she earned a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license. 

Rudolph participates in the Battle Creek Public Schools pipeline program. Most students in the program are graduates of Battle Creek Central High School and receive financial assistance to attend Grand Valley along with resources like a peer mentoring program and advising services to aid success. The pipeline cohort is supported by the GVSU/BCPS Partnership to Support Educational Transformation in Battle Creek, funding for that program is supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

"At the hospital, I was either placed with an RN or a nurse aide," Rudolph said. "When you're with an aide, you're helping to take a patient's vitals, checking on them every few hours and helping with other smaller tasks. With a nurse, I was able to learn how they start IVs and operate other equipment."

Other students had internships at Duncan Aviation, Battle Creek Visitors Bureau, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Battle Creek Public Schools, Starr Commonwealth, NovaCare and the Battle Creek Police Department.

Emily Miley, organization development and learning specialist for Bronson, said the organization dedicates itself to providing diverse experiences for students who are interested in health care fields. 

"Internships are pivotal as they not only foster future employment pathways but also inspire local students to explore careers at Bronson," Miley said. "We believe in nurturing talent and building a strong foundation for the next generation of health care professionals in our communities."

Rudolph said she would like to work in a hospital after graduation. She enjoyed caring for patients and watching their health improve. She said she rotated throughout floors at Bronson but spent the majority of her internship on the oncology floor.

"I would ask the nurses to pull me into a room if they thought it was something I should learn about," she said. "I like the diversity of the work and being able to apply what I learned from books."