Over the course of the summer, our internship cohort has contributed more than 7,000 hours worth of innovation to the South Bend-Elkhart region. Amongst the interns, these hours make them one step closer to a career of their own design. Whether it’s further qualification, or testing the waters of a specific work sector, our interns are sure to be making progress toward their long-term goals.

Over our interns’ eight-week experience, they have the opportunity to explore the South Bend-Elkhart region with all it has to offer. Check out some of the adventures our interns have embarked on over the course of their summer months.

Our interns have tremendous talent, and we strive to guide their capabilities so they can leverage their skills to their fullest potential. In this week’s blog, you will learn about four of our current interns, what they bring to the table, and what skills they seek to develop during their full-time internship.

At a pivotal time in my secondary education, I had to make the choice of what subjects I would study in the last 2 years of school. The subjects I would choose would open doors to higher education in college, and eventually a career. On the other hand, the subjects I didn’t choose would mean hammering the last nail in the coffin for other subject streams.

In January of 2017, I was beyond excited to start my international journey in the Kingdom of Eswatini where I was participating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma. It was a two-year program that developed leadership skills by teaching students how to use education to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. After a rewarding two-years, I graduated with a Bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma, and I took a gap year to share the knowledge and experiences I gained with my peers in my hometown Mutare, Zimbabwe.

The tree line blurred as her eyes became unfocused. Shaking her head, she glanced back at her computer. She had been reflecting on her hometown: South Bend, IN.

She wondered what her past self would think of where she had landed. Her past self had thought she would be a professor considering her degrees from Bethel University (IN) were in Biblical Studies and Philosophy.

I got this job by asking questions. I blame my mother. She has always told me, “You’ll never know until you ask,” and while she was not wrong… I don’t think anyone anticipated where those questions would take me.

“What do you want to do in the future?”

That’s a question I remember being asked by one of my best high school friends. I had always known the answer, “I want to be an entrepreneur,” I said.

In the summer of 2017, I realized working a desk job left me wanting more, it’s not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I needed to take a step back, figure out how to reevaluate my life and discover what I’m truly passionate about and what I want to accomplish. My next decision fell in line with my all or nothing attitude towards life.

My professional journey began with a phone call. When I was 10 years old, I phoned my local bicycle shop to help troubleshoot a problem: the brakes on my vintage Schwinn were not working properly. With the shop owner’s verbal guidance, I removed the faulty part, procured a replacement, and successfully completed the repair. A short time later, the bike shop owner reached out to my parents, inquiring whether I might want to apprentice as a mechanic.

enFocus, a nonprofit founded in 2012, believes the key to regional economic development lies in attracting and retaining talent. Our unique model attracts recent graduates to our Fellowship program, then matches them to business and technology projects with partners ranging from school systems and city government, to manufacturing and healthcare.

My name is Matthew Barlow, and I am from South Bend, IN. Sports have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Since junior high, I have been in the gym, lifting weights. I went on to play football at John Adams High School and was a student-athlete while earning a degree in Business Management at Valparaiso University.

Jeremy studied at DePaul University and earned his Bachelor’s of Economics in 2020 and his Master’s in Economics and Policy Analysis in 2021. Now, Jeremy is helping enFocus discover, design, and implement solutions in the education sector.

Born in Jesus do Norte, Brazil, Diogo earned a B.S. in Business Administration in Brazil and an M.S. in Business Analytics from DePaul University. Diogo’s experience in supply chain management and data analysis is pertinent to his work with enFocus and regional partners.

I remember my first time driving on I-65, on my way to meet my host family after arriving in the U.S. I had never seen the sky so wide, stunningly blue, and unrecognizably high.

Kartik received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indus University in India, and he received a Master’s degree in Astronautics and Aeronautics Engineering from Purdue University. At enFocus, Kartik is committed to supporting regional businesses and manufacturers with operational improvements.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “change is the only constant in life.” I didn’t think much of it at first, but those words perfectly describe my life over the past few years.

After finishing my Master of Social Work in Italy, I had a job offer to work as a therapist in Rome. That was my dream job in the city I love the most, and a only two-hour flight from my home country, Albania.

Perfect, right?

Carlos, originally from Argentina and Bolivia, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón. Now, he is securing student connectivity to support academic success in our region.

As a child in Taipei, Taiwan, I was fascinated by the 2008 financial crisis. I remember, even as a young boy, trying to figure out the fundamental cause of the economic recession. I researched economics, the stock market, bonds.

I was an unplanned child, born from two teens just starting middle school in Kamuli–one of the most rural districts of Eastern Uganda in Africa.

Mum and Dad came from low-income families that couldn't support their continued education and pregnancy at the same time; they had to drop out of school and part ways. I was raised by my beloved grandparents who never went to school, rural peasant farmers whose only dream was to see me succeed in life.