Giving Back
Hello everyone! My name is Eryn Foust and I have been interning for Susan Graham Consulting located in Hershey, PA this summer. SGC is a technical recruiting agency that specializes in IT/Technical positions. I only have a few more weeks left at my internship and I can truly say I do not think I could have possibly landed a better position.
I’ve learned so much at my internship this summer. From how to sort through resumes, to what marketing strategies work best for SGC, to mastering every social networking site possible, to just how important networking really is. But, the one key aspect I will take away from my internship this summer is just how important it is to have a boss/mentor that you can learn from, and how important it is to help others.
My boss, Susan Graham, is one of the most genuine, caring women I have met in my entire life. I have known for a while how active she was in the community when it came to donating, raising money for several charities around the Hershey area, as well as participating in events to connect with those in our area. But, what I did not know was just exactly all that she has done. One day I walked in to the office and saw a plaque sitting on the front table. It read “Community Service Award—Susan Graham”. After seeing this I had asked her what exactly the plaque was for. What I was about to hear was something I never expected.
Susan began to tell me about one night she was sitting down watching the news with Brian Williams. She said a story came on about a little boy who had wrote in to Williams asking him to show a picture of his dad who had died in an airplane crash along with other men in the army. This little boy, Braydon, had been seeing several pictures of other men that had died on the television but not his father, the pilot of that airplane. To give you the full story please watch this before reading further: https://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/44097371#44097371.
This story really touched Susan, to the point where she felt like she needed to do something for this little boy. She decided that Hershey would be the ultimate place to have Braydon flown in to and a way to show him how he’s touched others lives. He could enjoy some time at Hershey Park, Chocolate World, (etc.). Susan had sent out a simple Facebook message to a few of her friends asking for contributions to put towards this event. Shockingly, she had raised enough money for 3 plane tickets (which were used by Braydon, Braydon’s mom, and Baydon’s mom’s boyfriend) and was able to provide Braydon with an all-expense paid vacation for Braydon and his family. Applebee’s provided the family with free-meals the entire time they were in Hershey. A bike shop donated a bike for Braydon to have and shipped it back home for him. There was a sense of community that played a part in Braydon’s entire stay in Hershey that really shows just how important it is to give back, and just how great it feels to work for someone who really made (and continues to make) a difference in others lives. Without networking and creating close relationships with those she asked for contributions from, this event would have never taken place.
This trait of giving back, networking, and helping others I believe is the number 1, key aspect to running a successful business (and why SGC is so successful). Susan taught me that a business is not just about making money, it is about helping others strive to do their best everyday, and helping them out in anyway possible. I learned so much at my internship because she, as well as my co-workers were always willing to help me out in any way. As an intern at SGC, I learned just as much about life, and being a good person as I did about recruiting, marketing, and advertising. This internship has been a wonderful opportunity, and one I’ve learned more in than I ever expected.
For the entire story please visit this website: https://www.fullyfittolead.com/in-spirit/newsletter5-12.html
CNN Report: https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/02/us/braydon-nichols-ireport-update
