Student intern discovers passion for book publishing

This story is part of an occasional series that looks to highlight the benefits students derive from doing internships. FIU students are encouraged to seek out internships by working with FIU Career Services, professors and mentors who can assist in identifying these opportunities. Alexandria Pipitone, an English/marketing double major, spent the summer interning at Pearson, the world’s leading learning company. Below is her account of the experience. Read more internship profiles here.

Whenever I am prompted to talk about Pearson, I am instantly at a loss for words. Working alongside Pearson employees and other student ambassadors around the world has impacted my life in a multitude of ways.

I am the Campus Ambassador for Pearson at FIU and have been for about a year now. My goal is to help my peers succeed in their courses and provide valuable feedback on Pearson products and services. To do this, I lead demonstrations for Pearson technology, like MyLabs and Mastering, alongside the incredible Pearson Sales Rep on our campus.

I also host tabling events, like the one I did in the Barnes & Noble Bookstore earlier this semester, where I gave away Pearson gear and even access codes based on an FIU trivia game. Along with working on campus, I work virtually with a network of campus ambassadors around the United States and Canada collecting feedback from focus groups, surveys and interviews. I also regularly participate in conference calls and team meetings. A week of work as a campus ambassador usually adds up to an average of 1 to 5 hours, which makes it very easy to integrate into my already hectic schedule as a full-time student and worker.

From this experience, I have acquired many skills than will transfer into any future education or career endeavor, including public speaking, professional communication, problem solving and networking.

My team members at Pearson have been extremely supportive and confident in my abilities even before I discovered them myself. That type of support system is unprecedented and it has allowed me to grow into the professional woman I always hoped to be. Listening to and working with such like-minded and passionate people makes me understand the quote, “If you choose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.”

If you asked me a year ago what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I would give a vague answer that encompassed many different paths. With the help of my mentors at Pearson, I have learned that my passion really lies in book publishing where I can give others the gift of a creative escape where they can find themselves again and again.

– Alexandria Pipitone