Posted August 17, 2015 by
Tags: My Wheaton Global and Experiential Learning
Landing My Summer Internship with the San Diego Padres
“Who would you rather be: Batman or Robin, and why?”
When the interviewer asked, I answered quickly. I was prepared for a question like this.
"Batman," I said, “Because he has the opportunity to influence more people."
After a brief discussion, another question came:
“Which is more important: maintaining the team, or achieving the goal?”
This was more complicated, so I thought carefully before responding.
"I think it's important to strike a balance," I said, and continued on with support for my position.
These, and many other questions, were part of a series of three interviews I went through before receiving an offer for an internship with the San Diego Padres this summer. I first learned about the internship online, and wasn’t sure if I realistically had a chance at it. This was my home team, the one that I had grown up watching. I figured it was worth a shot, and filled out the online application.
A little over a month later, my interviews began, and at that point I was very thankful for all the wisdom and guidance I had received from my business and economics professors and the staff at Wheaton’s Center for Vocation and Career. Here are three things I learned during my MLB interview process:
On the first day of my internship, I was so nervous I arrived a half hour early just to make sure I was there on time. Thankfully, once I met my boss and the other members of the department, I realized I had nothing to be nervous about. One of the things I appreciated most about my internship with the Padres was that my boss explained the reason for each of my projects. For example, my first project included organizing all of the invoices for the Guest Services department. Before giving me the invoices, my boss explained that you can learn a lot about an organization by looking at what they spend their money on. This project gave me the opportunity to learn what was important to the Padres’ Guest Services department.
Wheaton is a special place full of people who want to help you succeed—from professors to coaches to the Center for Vocation and Career staff. I am so grateful for the unique opportunity to combine my love of baseball and my hometown with a professional work setting. This one of a kind opportunity truly embodies my Wheaton experience.
Lyndsey Pritchard ’16 is a senior studying business/economics. What is your #MyWheaton internship experience? Share with us on social media using the hashtag #MyWheaton, or email with your story. Photo captions (from top): Lyndsey with fellow summer 2015 interns; A snapshot from the San Diego Padres' home stadium.