Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships. Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability, develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.
Many students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet:
Emily Obermeyer
She is: A May 2022 graduate of the Information Security and Intelligence program from Grand Rapids.
Her Internship: Emily served as a cyber risk intern with Disney. “This internship has been an incredible experience. This was my first time working in a company of this size with such a massive reach. What is exciting is many of the projects I have worked on will continue to help my team even after my time as an intern is over. I have been learning a great deal about identifying and placing value on the risks of applications and vendors Disney works with within their distribution channels. My team is in the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Segment, so we focus on how content gets on air or on application platforms for consumer use. We then complete risk assessments to ensure that these apps and vendors follow the policies and standards we have in place at Disney. I have learned that when it comes to companies of this size, collaboration is huge and I often find myself working closely with people beyond my direct team.
"I also got to fly to LA for a week for a team trip, go to Disneyland twice (free as a Disney intern), tour multiple LA offices in Santa Monica and Glendale, and learn so much about the company. I got to work at the Studio Lot and get a full tour of the Disney Studios, which was an incredible experience. I got to hold an Oscar, see Walt Disney’s office just as he left it, and see the original hand-painted animations used for many classic Disney Films, such as Bambi, Aladdin, and more. The Disney Studio is also very special, because it is the one major Hollywood film studio that does not do public tours, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was so amazing to be working in the offices, then when walking to lunch or in my car see real TV shows shooting in action. My team has pushed me to learn and grow a great deal over these past three months.”
Advice For Students Seeking Internships: “Networking is huge, both before and during your internship. Today so many jobs can be found by knowing someone, so try to attend conferences, events, and other sessions to meet recruiters and other professionals. They can often point you in the right direction or can be a huge help to your career and provide mentoring sessions. Once you get in your internship, try to meet as many other interns and shadow as many people as possible.”
Future Plans: “I recently accepted my first post-bachelors job at Paramount on their Content Security team. I completed an internship there in the summer and fall of 2021. This internship with Disney really prepared me to be ready to enter the workforce as a full-time employee. I am hoping to stay working and active in the entertainment industry and focus on cyber security there. I love that my exact field is that it is very small, so the people I am working with now have worked with people on my future team at Paramount and many other production companies."
More About Emily: “I was the Homecoming Ambassador, Former president of Information Security and Intelligence Alliance, Student Government Representative, VP of Women in Cyber Security, VP of Finance for Alpha Sigma Tau, Secretary of Order of Omega, and Panhellenic Council Treasurer in my four years at Ferris. “
Ferris Core Value Emily Relates to: Collaboration. “I have learned much from working with people, not on my direct team. Even though I am not an Engineer and not on that team, I have been working with multiple Engineers on their projects and with people on many other cyber security teams. Disney is huge on collaboration, and we often try to help other teams through our work as much as possible.”