Seniors turn project into passion
Hannah Gutenstein, Juliette Holm and Taylor Penezic have turned an applied social media course project into a podcast about navigating the professional world. Image by “Grow Up”
By Rebeka Ogren
Staff Writer
Are you in need of guidance on how to “adult”? If so, then “Grow Up: An Internship Guide” is the podcast for you. Started by a group of High Point University students, the show encompasses everything there is to know about how to navigate the professional world.
Three HPU seniors are the faces of the brand and the brains behind the operation. What sets them apart? All three are female.
What began as a project for an applied social media course quickly gained unexpected traction. After collaborating with their fellow classmates and combining spitballed ideas, “Grow Up: An Internship Guide” was born. Shortly after the idea came to fruition, an Instagram page was launched, and the ball began rolling.
All three co-hosts come from different majors, involvements and walks of life.
Hannah Gutenstein is a strategic communications major with minors in marketing and social media marketing. Gutenstein brands herself as a “travel and culture junkie” on the “Grow Up” Instagram page.
Juliette Holm is a professional sales major with a minor in social media
marketing. With hopes of pursuing a career in high-tech sales, Holm prides herself in her experience with sales and business development.
Taylor Penezic is an event management major, also minoring in social media marketing. Looking forward to attending graduate school at HPU, Penezic is ecstatic to be involved with this production.
With this trifecta of co-hosts, success is nothing short of an expectation. The podcast began this month, and new episodes go live every Wednesday.
The first episode, aired on Oct. 14, was entitled “Virtual Connections.” The co-hosts discussed their involvement on campus and how their lives have changed to be more virtually involved over the past few months. Penezic spoke about the struggles of this year’s virtual sorority recruitment, while Holm and Gutenstein covered the importance of having LinkedIn profiles and maintaining your virtual presence through online meetings.
In their second episode, aired on Oct. 21, the girls invited HPU freshman Bridget Dubrow to discuss her thoughts on the business world. As a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, the business fraternity on campus, Dubrow has met with industry professionals and grown in her passion for the business world.
In the episode’s latter half, the co-hosts examined the importance of internships and gaining experience in the field. They stressed the idea that starting as early as possible, whether with internships or gathering knowledge about your future field, is mandatory for success.
When talking about reaching out to potential employers, Gutenstein said, “Trying and putting your name out there will eventually end up in something,” adding to the idea that staying persistent takes practice.
But the efforts will reward you in the end.
“Grow Up” has received nothing but positive feedback from listeners, motivating the business to continue in its ventures for the foreseeable future. Moving forward, the girls want to tell listeners that professional development can come in many different ways.
There are a multitude of available options, like “internships, research experience, attending conferences or lectures and even obtaining different certifications,” said Penezic.
The co-hosts look forward to carrying out the podcast to the best of their ability and providing students advice to grow professionally, on and off campus.
The internship guide is a new, noteworthy and modern take on old-school topics everyone needs. With a target group of young adults, “Grow Up” is playing a vital role as the big sister in the walk towards success in the business world.
Whether you are a podcast junkie, a technology newbie, an education major or a future doctor, this show is for you.
Those interested can check the podcast out at growupinterns.com or on Instagram, @growupinterns.