About three years ago, I made the decision to attend Hanover College—which is a little under five hours’ driving distance from my hometown of Mishawaka on a good day—where I will be a senior next year. I have again temporarily relocated from home to be in Indianapolis this summer for a communications internship with the Indiana Chamber.

Upon arriving home after completing the first day of my internship at the Chamber, my immediate task was to call my dad and relay to him the details of my initial experiences. As anticipated, he was overjoyed to learn that I considered the day to be a success and was looking forward to the days to come. He then predictably delivered a well-intentioned lecture, advising me to make the most out of this opportunity.

My dad (manager of a family-owned company based in Elkhart, Indiana) was the one who encouraged me to join my college’s business program to supplement my English major. To my surprise, I’ve largely enjoyed my business courses as much as or even more than many of my literature-based English classes. I have quickly realized that my two interests—writing and business—can create a happy union.

My summer internship here at the Chamber is a perfect example of the potential marriage of my interests. I’m excited to learn more about business while utilizing and improving my writing skills. As a college student planning on remaining and working in Indiana post-graduation next year, I look forward to learning about business in Indiana in particular. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to inform my business-savvy dad about a thing or two that he isn’t already aware of.