Maybe it’s just me, but when it comes to internships, a summer spent learning the ropes at Sharpie sounds prettysweet. Even better, how about a Sharpie social media internship?  Now that’s phat!  (See what happens when you hang out with college students? You start talking like a middle-schooler : ) ; )  JK!  LOL.  IDKYUTALKLIKEDAT.  Anyway, enough of the hyroglyphics.  Meet Sharpie’s new interns — or INKterns as one of my Twitter followers named them.  That’s Lauren on the left holding some of the new Caribbean colors not even on store shelves yet (check for them around Spring Break time next year).  In the middle is Stephanie who has set all sorts of track records at school and is already off and running on the social media front  And that’s Whitney on the right, clearly a Sharpie pack rat holding an as yet unreleased version of the Sharpie Pen (little secret, Whitney’s dad Terry works for Sharpie – she’s got the connects!) 

So now I’ll shut up and you can find out what Sharpie’s amazing INKterns are up to over here at Sharpie HQ:  

Sharpie INKtern Stephanie Williams with shiny new stainless steel Sharpies

Twitter Handle: @SharpieSteph

School: DePaul University, Chicago

Graduation Date: June 09

Major: Communications; Minor: Marketing (Sales & Leadership)

Hometown: Chi-Town!, IL

Activities/Interests: Sports! (Track and Field, Football, basketball in that order)

Favorite TV Show:  I love America’s Next Top Model and CSI: Miami

Favortie Movie:  My favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz AND the best video game is Super Mario Bros. No questions asked…

Favorite Sports Team: Surprisingly, none. I like specific players from a variety of sports

Favorite band: SWV (they’re not really a “band” they’re an old R&B 90’s all girl group). My favorite song is “Rain” by them

Favorite Sharpie: All of the Highlighters!

Sharpie Story/Incident: I told some of my track teammates at DePaul that I will be working for Sharpie for the summer and I have constantly received requests for Sharpie through text messages and my Facebook.

Stephanie Uncapped? If I were uncapped, you would find a bunch of donuts (powdered please!), track spikes, more food, my DePaul track meet footage throughout the years and family photos because family is first in my book!

What I hope to gain? Three things: The ability to put into practice what the books have taught me, being able to love my job and not feeling like its “work”, and finally, having the coolest Sharpies.

Sharpie INKterns Lauren Loro with the first Sharpie Pen on top and an as yet unreleased version.

 Twitter Handle: @SharpieInktern

School: DePaul University

Graduation date: June 2009

Major: Marketing Honors, Management Minor

Hometown: River Forest, IL

Activities/Interests: Working at Sharpie J Traveling, Volleyball, Reading, North Ave. Beach, Muscle Cars, University of Michigan (go Big Blue!), and Jet Skiing

Favorite sports team and why: Wow close call between Da Bears and the White Sox. I think Da Bears win this one. I love the Bears because of the action. My father played football through college so it was always something I have watched. It will be interesting to see how they will do this year with our boy Cutler.

Favorite band and why: Ah such a hard question! I am super eclectic when it comes to music, but if I had to narrow it down I guess I would choose No Doubt or Jack Johnson.

Favorite Sharpie? The Sharpie Pen… it’s just writes so well!

Personal Sharpie incident/sighting/story: My fiancé and I just bought a condo down in Lincoln Park and we just started moving everything so I have great usage for the Sharpie Magnum I just got today!

Lauren Uncapped? Hmm…deep question. Basically, I am a simple girl who loves the little things in life. But if you had to delve deeper you would find I am a very driven person who puts everything into her work.

Besides free Sharpies, what do you hope to get out of this internship? Well, free Sharpies are the main reason I’m here. Well not really, but I hope to gain knowledge of the implementation of social media. I have researched and read about social media, but I have never seen a company first hand employ these innovative marketing tools.

Sharpie INKtern Whitney Kelly with her favorite Sharpie Magnum

Twitter Handle: @SharpieWhit

School: University of Kansas (RockChalk!)

Graduation date: December 2008

Major: History & Communication Studies

Hometown: Darien, IL

Activities/Interests: Family, friends, music, art and working for Susan Wassel.

Favorite sports team and why: KU Basketball. Why? I wouldn’t be a true Jayhawk if I didn’t say KU Basketball. We invented the sport and nothing compares to a Rock Chalk chant in Allen Fieldhouse.

Favorite band and why: The Rolling Stones – The Stones have influenced so many genres of music, especially rock! Who doesn’t love a little Jumpin’ Jack Flash?

Favorite Sharpie? Narrowing it down to one is difficult, how about top 5:

Sharpie Magnum
Sharpie Pen RT
Sharpie Twin Tip (best of both worlds!)
Sharpie Mini
Sharpie Poster Paint

Personal Sharpie incident/sighting/story: Growing up with mounds of Sharpies surrounding me at all times, I feel like Sharpies follow me wherever I go. Recently, at a restaurant in St. Louis, a frustrated looking girl walks out of the bathroom, black Sharpie in tow. I walk in and see (in huge black letters) written on a bathroom stall: “CHILL OUT & carry a Sharpie …SERIOUSLY!” What I’d like to know is, who are these people taking the time to write things on bathroom stalls?! Well, it’s not me, but if you are, I suggest using a Sharpie — pencils and pens (obviously Bic) simply will not get you any attention. (I took a picture from my phone. If you want to check it out, my cube is 2158 Parker Place.)

Whitney Uncapped? You would definitely need a directory that leads you to where you want to go. Music, Art, Sports, Fashion, Politics, OFFICE PRODUCTS, Books, TV…you name it, I’m interested in it! Everyday these interests grow and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.

Besides free Sharpies, what do you hope to get out of this internship?  I hope to learn as much as possible about Social Media and the impact it actually has on sales. The world of social media still has several avenues that are yet to be discovered and it will be interesting to see how far it goes. Sharpie is a leader in this market. I’m excited to be a part of this team. Networking is always a plus too! Hopefully by the end of the internship I will have built some credibility and made enough of an impact that companies will be lining up and begging me to work for them!!