July 25 is National Intern Day — a day for recognizing these future leaders — and to celebrate, we spoke with some members of the class of 2025 who are currently engaged in summer internships. They shared what they’ve learned thus far, the role their MBA program and The Consortium played in getting them there, their favorite work tunes and more.
Francesca Colombo
University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Product Manager II Intern, Intuit
A typical day in your internship: I grab a snack from the office on the way to my first meeting, where product managers and cross-functional partners collaborate to agree on solutions for a large initiative I’m contributing to. I have meetings to unblock and empower the engineering team to continue developing for a smooth product launch. Depending on the project stage(s), the remainder of my day could be brainstorming ideas to meet long-term goals, conducting user research, writing product requirements, collaborating with other teams or navigating a sprint.
Go-to work playlist or favorite music to listen to while working: My musical taste is pretty eclectic, and I mostly make my own playlists, but I like Spotify’s “Good Vibes” playlist.
Types of projects you’ve worked on (and your favorite one): In my internship with the Incentive Compensation Management team in Sales Tech, I’m involved in various projects covering a range of product management responsibilities — from ideation to delivery. I’ve particularly enjoyed leading an incentive program that’s part of a larger initiative to develop solutions for mid-market customers. Drawing on my background as a software engineer, I’ve valued the opportunity to engage and collaborate with talented engineers.
New skills or knowledge you’ve gained during your internship: I’ve taken advantage of the available learning opportunities, both through formal L&D courses and on-the-job lessons. I’ve learned how to encourage discussion while still driving toward a solution, how to adapt to surprises in the roadmap and how to collaborate efficiently and effectively with other teams.
How you’d describe the company culture: The company culture is collaborative, inclusive and truly driven by its core values.
Favorite or most rewarding aspect of your internship: Everyone is extremely welcoming and willing to meet to discuss their experience and share advice. I’ve met amazing people who have been at Intuit for five, 10, 15-plus years — a rarity in tech.
How your MBA program prepared you for your internship: Ross’ focus on experiential learning has prepared me for this internship. From participating in MAP (multidisciplinary action project), presenting in Story Lab and taking on a product management role in the Tech Innovation Challenge, I’ve acquired a diverse skill set that has proven invaluable for recruiting and beyond.
How your MBA network helped you in securing and succeeding in this internship: The Consortium’s Orientation Program (OP) helped me get an early start on the hectic fall cycle. At Ross, my Consortium family helped me through mock interviews and have provided moral support throughout recruiting and my internship.
Advice for prospective MBA interns: Make time to meet people outside of your team, ask questions, reflect on your experiences and actively seek feedback from those around you — not just your manager. Keep a “hype doc” of your achievements each week to combat imposter syndrome and generate clear documentation of your work to discuss with your manager.
Favorite way to recharge or unwind after a busy day interning: I’ve enjoyed going to the Intuit gym at the end of the day or grabbing a book and driving to a nearby beach to read.
Diego Montes de Oca
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
Commercial Strategy Intern, Supplier Advertising Programs & Operations, Wayfair, Inc.
A typical day in your internship: A large part of my summer project involves gathering specific feedback on data needs and platform experience from our supplier base. A typical day might include two to three in-depth meetings with individual suppliers, and then independent working sessions synthesizing their specific points of feedback into a large tracker. In between, I have additional check-ins with counterparts in different business units to go over general progress and address relevant questions.
Go-to work playlist or favorite music to listen to while working: I usually need some upbeat music to keep me energized through the afternoon and usually turn to Latin pop/reggaeton.
Types of projects you’ve worked on (and your favorite one): My main project is focused on developing a go-to-market strategy for a new advertising product/service. I’ve needed to build a deep understanding of our supplier base, the firm’s overarching business strategy and the external industry landscape to define product needs and drive specific service recommendations.
New skills or knowledge you’ve gained during your internship: I’ve gained a really strong understanding of the ecommerce space and the technicalities of online advertising. From the different products available to the engineering frameworks that enable each product, I’ve had to get up to speed fairly quickly on the industry landscape in order to have informed discussions with suppliers and third-party service providers.
How you’d describe the company culture: Wayfair is a fast-moving, dynamic company that’s been shaped by its rapid growth. They prioritize an environment focused on constant learning and continuous improvement.
Favorite or most rewarding aspect of your internship: I have extensive exposure to the strategic priorities of multiple business units, which has granted me insight into different aspects of the company. Working alongside peers from Sales, Engineering, Product, Finance, etc. has been incredibly interesting and has provided me a much more comprehensive view into the company’s operations than I expected.
How your MBA program prepared you for your internship: In my role, I’m regularly leading conversations not only with individuals across the internal organization, but also with external partners. One of our stand-out MBA courses last year was focused on developing an executive presence and successfully managing difficult corporate scenarios, which has been incredibly useful when navigating my many meetings.
How your MBA network helped you in securing and succeeding in this internship: I’m actually not the first Georgetown MBA to get an internship at Wayfair through The Consortium, so it was incredibly helpful meeting with the prior intern to understand her role, key takeaways and overall experience.
Advice for prospective MBA interns: Solicit feedback as frequently as possible across your team and, if possible, your organization. Ten weeks goes by quickly, so use regular check-ins to review your learnings and to pressure-test your recommendations early and often.
Favorite way to recharge or unwind after a busy day interning: I love watching movies in the theater and find myself going at least once a week.