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Community Corner

Public Service Internship Leads to Endless Possibilities

Deptford Twp. – While most college students are taking a break from learning this summer, Rowan College at Gloucester County sophomore Amanda Grossmick is gaining real-world knowledge at her marketing internship at the Borough of Clayton, under the direction of Mayor Thomas Bianco.

The 19-year-old business administration major from Franklinville was hired as a cooperative education student on May 8 at the Borough of Clayton Council meeting, where she also had the opportunity to run the borough work session and council meeting.

“It was interesting to hear what was going on in the town and what resolutions needed to be worked out,” said Grossmick. “Working with Mayor Bianco at the council meeting was an unforgettable experience. I gained so much knowledge from that night alone.”

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As a marketing intern, Grossmick assists with promoting the Borough of Clayton to attract new businesses, in addition to gathering and compiling content for the Borough’s website, participating in economic development activities, as requested by the Economic Development Committee and attending department events with the borough administrator. She also assists with the preparation and distribution of water and tax bills for residents.

“Her employer, Mayor Bianco, has reported that Amanda is doing an outstanding job and he is very pleased with her performance,” said Cooperative Education Program Director Darlene Berger.

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Grossmick also works with Clayton’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer Donna Nestore, and is learning a tremendous amount of information directly related to accounting, a field she aspires to work in the future.

“Ms. Nestore explains to me how she makes the budgets and even let me help do a bank reconciliation a few days ago,” said Grossmick. “Her knowledge and background in accounting/financials is awe-inspiring. I am eager to work with her more throughout the summer.”

“Amanda’s Cooperative Education experience is exemplary,” noted Berger. “She is learning so many new things and is able to apply what she has learned in the classroom to her job duties.”

The Cooperative Education Program is a partnership between the business community and Rowan College at Gloucester County. Students must have completed at least 30-college credits prior to acceptance into the program. Its mission is to prepare students for the workforce.

The program benefits students by allowing them to earn three college credits while working in a job related to their career or educational goals. Through the program, students are able to gain experience in their career prior to graduation, positioning them for future career opportunities with participating employers. 

The Cooperative Education Program benefits employers by providing a partnership with the College to implement a workforce development program that will speak to their human resource needs. The program develops a pool of highly-skilled, well-trained applicants for future job openings and enables the employer to hire highly-motivated students whose career objectives are directly related to the job. 

“After I graduate from Rowan College at Gloucester County in 2015, I plan to transfer to Stockton College,” said Grossmick. “There I will focus on earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting and graduating in 2017. Then I will go for my master’s degree.”

Rowan College at Gloucester County is located on a 250-acre campus on Tanyard Road, Deptford, just off Exit 56 of Route 55. 

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