Interns Share Their Summer Experiences

Every summer, interns from across the country take part in our internship programs. The programs give college students the opportunity to do real, impactful work in their chosen fields.

Get to know three of our program participants and hear all about their experiences working at Dallas headquarters.

Adriana Rincon

Coming into this internship, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had done previous internships, but they were all remote. I had also never had a Supply Chain role before. My work turned out to be very rewarding and I gained a lot of knowledge about the supply chain. It was great to work in-office and get the full experience of what it’s like to work at AT&T.

The company culture is highly welcoming and collaborative. There’s a strong focus on support and every intern was paired with mentors and experience team members dedicate to helping them. Everyone I met was so willing to help. There were also numerous opportunities to network and learn about different roles within the organization.

I really valued those networking opportunities as I got to connect with full-time employees and leadership. Touring multiple distribution centers and witnessing our work in realtime was incredibly interesting, too. There were also many fun activities for interns to connect. I particularly enjoyed the happy hours, BBQs and downtown Dallas scavenger hunt. Next up, I’ll be returning to Boston for my final semester on the way to earning my Computer Science degree.

To future interns, my advice is this: stay open minded and adaptable. Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential to growth. Take advantage of all the networking opportunities provided, too. Every interaction is a chance to learn something new. AT&T is a large company, there is so much room to grow your career and explore different business areas.

Weatland Johnson

Coming into my first internship I didn’t know what exactly to expect. I had always heard rumors about the strict and cutthroat nature of the corporate world, but I wanted to come into the program with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly nature of all the employees I interacted with. From the jump, it was clear that the company not only valued skillful workers but that they were good people as well. People are at the center of any good business.

On a typical day I worked on my team’s outreach campaign for Dynamic Defense, a newer wireline product. This process allowed me to see the groundwork that is required to make a sale. I learned that working in sales involves a high level of proactiveness and personability to succeed.

Outside of the work I did, my favorite part of the internship would have to be the community I developed with my fellow interns. Following my journey with AT&T this summer, I’ll continue working towards attaining my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I’m excited to see what new opportunities come along as I progress throughout my career.

If I could offer any advice to future interns, I would say to be your genuine self. Be inquisitive and always strive to be better than you were yesterday.

Justine Van Buskirk

My time at AT&T has taught me a number of new lessons, from what a thriving company culture looks like to how to use new technology in the workplace. AT&T gave me something that I will always cherish — knowledge. I have maximized my time here by dipping my toes in the water of multiple fields of business. While working in Change Management, I also had the opportunity to create social media content to promote company culture and learn about many other fields like Cybersecurity, Sales, AI and HR. I came away from my experience with these three lessons that I will carry with me.

• What’s the worst that can happen? I learned to ask myself this question each time I was overthinking a decision. Whenever I was thinking of reaching out to someone or providing feedback in meetings I would ask myself “What’s the worst that could happen?” 99% of the time, the answer to this question would be “nothing.” If I don’t take the risk and put myself out there for new opportunities, nothing will change. if I do, maybe everything will change for the better. Maybe I’ll learn something new or make a bigger impact. While weighing these options, the correct move seems pretty obvious. Take the risk…
• Pay attention when you zone out. Or better said, when you zoom in. When you lose track of time, forget to eat lunch or don’t notice eight missed calls. Remember these moments, because it probably means you are doing something you really enjoy. Prior to this internship, my goal was to learn what I like and don’t like in the corporate world. It was moments like this that helped me realize what I am most passionate about. I found myself lost in the work of using innovative techniques for change and motivation. And found myself fascinated with cybersecurity and how generative AI will change the workplace.
• Calm down. As a college student, I can’t go a week without someone asking what my goals are for my whole life. I find that students are often expected to have some elaborate career plan. But this is our time to learn what interests us and build from our experiences. After 10 weeks of various networking meetings, I was able to learn about the inspiring journeys of many talented leaders. Not a single one had it all figured out at the start of their careers. So I’ve learned to calm down. I learned that if I did know exactly what I wanted to do with my life right now, I probably am not dreaming big enough. I can now take a deep breath, and begin enjoying my journey, knowing that I am precisely where I need to be.

AT&T has opened up brand new avenues for me in my career and personal life. I am beyond thankful for the opportunities and people who have made huge impacts on me along the way. I can’t tell you what my future holds, but I do know that these three lessons will guide me in wherever I go next. I now deeply understand what AT&T means by “Connection changes everything.”

If you’re an undergraduate looking to gain real world experience, check out what our internships have to offer and sign up to get notified when 2025 applications open.