Good Greif
Ohio Wesleyan Student Completes Talent Management Internship
Name: Katie Lucas '25
Hometown: St. Marys, Ohio
High School: St. Marys Memorial High School
Majors: Business Administration (Marketing Concentration) and Psychology
OWU Connection Experience: Human resources department internship at Delaware, Ohio-based Greif Inc.
Lucas earned an Ohio Wesleyan Blaine E. Grimes Grant to fund a summer internship working in talent management in the human resources department at Greif, a global industrial packaging products and services company with operations in more than 30 countries.
"I chose an internship as my OWU Connection experience because of its translation to my current and future professional goals. This was an in-person talent management internship that allowed me to have firsthand experience in an office environment contributing to projects that were both challenging and impactful. I was able to grow through the coaching of my supervisor and colleagues and feel that this was the perfect way to solidify my career interests and begin my professional life."
"Carolyn Lammert and the Career Connection office were helpful in introducing the connection that led to my internship via a mock interview event and an alumni contact … who worked in the benefits function at Greif who then recommended me for the open talent management role."
You never know what opportunities, connections, or successes you might encounter when you begin something new.
Discovering Opportunity
"A main lesson I learned during this internship is that you never know what opportunities, connections, or successes you might encounter when you begin something new. A main focus in the culture at Greif is having an action bias, meaning taking initiative, seizing opportunity, and generating momentum. This is something I apply in all aspects of my life and will continue to be helpful as I build my professional career.
"Within the human resources department, my role as a talent management intern exposed me to various portions of the talent lifecycle. …My key projects included developing a playbook containing guidelines and resources for colleague resource groups; contributing as a core team member for the preparation, launch, and facilitation of a global pilot mentorship program; analyzing engagement and action planning data from Gallup; drafting communications to support the annual performance and development review process; and creating an onboarding pamphlet for next year's interns."
My Favorite Moment
"One of my favorite moments from the internship came from a group project that I worked on with three remote HR interns. After spending the summer brainstorming, planning, and producing our own idea to pitch to the executive leadership team, we met in person to share our project. It was a 75-day personal and professional development challenge that we intended for the next class of interns to receive during onboarding and follow during the internship program. This moment was so exciting because the CEO and leadership team loved the pitch, asked for copies, and told us it would be implemented for the intern class of 2025."
My Campus Involvement
Lucas graduated a semester early in December, but during her time at OWU, she was in the Delta Gamma sorority and served as the chapter's vice president for finance. She was a member of the Woltemade Economics and Business Fellows program and the Corns Entrepreneurial and Business Scholars program. In addition, Lucas worked as a resident assistant for the first-year community as a sophomore and junior, and she completed five semesters and a summer internship as a tour guide with the Office of Admission.
Why I Chose Ohio Wesleyan?
"I was drawn to Ohio Wesleyan because of the success stories and promising opportunities it offered. I felt that this would be a place where I could be challenged, grow, and have an enjoyable experience doing that, and looking back, I was right!
"On top of this, I am a legacy student. My older brother, Kyle Lucas '24, was a freshman at OWU when I was a senior in high school, so I got to see the success, friendship, and fun he was having here and chose to follow him and experience that for myself!"
My Plans After Graduation
"I plan to pursue full-time employment opportunities for human resources and talent roles in the Columbus area. I am happy to share that because of connections I have made at both OWU and through my internship at Greif, I have a broad professional network that has been helpful in connecting me and supporting me through this search."