Internship Spotlight: Katelyn Clay and Madison Scioneaux

Meet Katelyn Clay and Madison Scioneaux, seniors majoring in Marketing. Katelyn and Madison are spending their summer as International Marketing and Sales interns for McIlhenny Company, the maker of TABASCO® brand products in Avery Island, Louisiana. 

Where are you from? 
Katelyn: DeRidder, Louisiana
Madison: Chackbay, Louisiana

What type of projects are you working on at McIlhenny Company?
Our duties entail a wide variety of projects like managing the TABASCO® brand image globally, updating international packaging, providing event inspirations to our global business partners to boost sales, working with our design team on content creation, managing the monthly global newsletter that reaches our customers and business partners across the globe, and much more! We're also creating a collegiate Brand Ambassador program that will be launching at UL Lafayette this fall!

Have you had any unique experiences while working at McIlhenny Company?
We got to work in different departments, as the company believes in cross-training. We planted peppers, worked in the mash warehouse, and worked in blending. Our favorite thing about working here is the people and the brand. We love working for a brand that values the integrity of the product, process, and people.

Why did you pursue an internship?
Katelyn: I chose to pursue an internship in college because I knew that I needed more than just the education, I needed the experience alongside of it. I value what I learn in a classroom but I believe that learning from experience will take you farther. It helps the information stick when you can apply it to real life situations which creates more value in the education.

Madison: I chose to pursue an internship because I knew work experience alongside an education would be beneficial upon graduation. Having an internship since my freshman year in college, I learned early how much internship experience can enhance what is learned in the classroom and take it to a higher level. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to gain this experience at two internships while in college that focus on different aspects in my preferred area of concentration to become a well-rounded graduate and be ready to enter the workforce.

What has been one of your favorite classes at B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration?
Katelyn: MKTG 425, Executives in Residence with Dr. Stewart. In this class, Dr. Stewart brought in business professionals from the community and UL Lafayette alumni that have done some incredible things in their careers to give us real-world advice and to share their stories with us. This class challenged and inspired me. It gave me the confidence to go after my professional dreams.

Madison: MKTG 380 - Promotional Strategy and Management with Mrs. Stacey Chamberlain Bergeron.

What would you say to students who are considering an internship?
This has been one of the most impactful experiences we've had during college. This internship has given us so many tools that we can use in our post-grad career and we're so incredibly thankful for this experience!

To learn more about participating in the B.I. Moody III College of Business internship program, visit business.louisiana.edu/internship.