National Intern Day: Q&A With Our Futures

There are plenty of reasons to look forward to summertime: warmer weather, outdoor barbeques, sunlit evenings. But for Netsmart, one of the most exciting parts of the summer months is welcoming our new class of Futures to the Netsmart family. The Futures program gives college students the opportunity to gain real-world professional experience, take a deeper dive into Netsmart operations and initiatives, and apply the knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom.

This year, 48 Futures joined our teams for the 2021 internship program, gaining experience in various roles in engineering, consulting, marketing, sales, finance and legal. Why do we call our interns “Futures”? Because we believe students who are passionate about innovation, opportunity and collaboration are the future associates and leaders of Netsmart.

In honor of National Intern Day, check out the Q&A below where we spotlight several of our amazing summer 2021 Futures and their experiences at Netsmart.

 

Rhea Manjrekar, Software Engineer Future, Stony Brook University

What made you excited about the Futures program with Netsmart this summer?

I was excited to intern with Netsmart because I have always had an interest in healthcare IT, and I was excited to combine my passion for service with my love for  engineering and programming.

How do you think your time as a Future will help grow your professional development?

My time as a Future will help grow my professional development because here at Netsmart, Futures are treated as associates. Deadlines and expectations are given, and the work assigned is a project that the team actually needs and will be used in the future. Being in this work environment is great preparation for working full time one day. 

 

Caroline Mollerus, Accounting Future, University of Kansas

How do you think your time as a Future will help grow your professional development?

My time as a Future has tremendously helped grow my professional development skills through daily tasks and networking opportunities with Netsmart associates and executives. It really puts you in a position to work on your communication and organizational skills in a professional environment. I’ve learned to create a list system for getting tasks done and to brainstorm questions surrounding networking opportunities to take as much away from this experience as possible. 

Describe your experience as Future in three descriptive words.

Innovative, rewarding and collaborative.

 

Andrew Kofoid, Delivery Analyst Future, Kansas State University

What has been your favorite skill you’ve learned so far?

Furthering my critical thinking skills. The Futures program has helped me learn time management, take a deeper look into the things I am learning and ask the question “why?” more. All of these have come together to help me become a much more critical thinker, and I can apply this to the work I carry out through the rest of the summer and beyond.

How do you think your time as a Future will help grow your professional development?

My time as a Future has helped me get a better understanding of what it means to begin a career. This has been my first full-time office job and has really helped me to learn the benefits that come with it. I have learned to better manage my time and some of the networking skills that come with working in an office. Both skills are things I can bring with me in any setting through the rest of my career.

 

Trevor Stammler Systems, Engineer Future, Missouri University of Science and Technology

What made you excited about the Futures program with Netsmart this summer?

That there were a lot of things to learn, as well as knowing that by interning at Netsmart I could make an impact in my community by helping our clients through Netsmart software and solutions.

How do you think your time as a Future will help grow your professional development?

My time here has shown me more about how to communicate, work and succeed in a professional environment, as well as learning to work with different kinds of people I interact with on a day-to-day basis.

Describe your experience as Future in three descriptive words.

Enjoyable, engaging and productive.

 

Skyler Clark, Client Representative Future, University of Kansas

What has been your favorite skill you’ve learned so far?

Thanks to the guidance of my manager, mentor and coworkers, I’ve become significantly more comfortable with business communication.

How do you think your time as a Future will help grow your professional development?

My time as a Future will be invaluable for my professional development. Netsmart is such a fast-paced environment where I learn something new every day.

 

We are excited to wrap up the remainder of the summer with our Futures! Preparing students for the next step in their careers is just one of the many positive outcomes of this program. Futures become an essential part of their teams, contributing to projects, campaigns, solution building, consulting efforts and much more.

Each Future is a valuable member of the Netsmart family, and we are eager to offer ongoing support and guidance as they continue to grow their career development as young professionals.