Kamryn Sharer, a junior at CSU, is one of the Summer 2020 Ohio Export Interns. Kamryn is a Finance major and Economics minor and member of the Cleveland State track team. As an involved part of her family’s small business, she has always been attracted to the field of business.
"This introduction to new, international topics has expanded my interest in business," Kamryn said. "The Ohio Export Internship Program (OEIP) is supported by the Ohio Development Services Agency, and it allows students at Cleveland State as well as three other universities in Ohio to learn about export initiatives. Students are able to apply their knowledge when matched to an internship with a small to medium sized Ohio-based company."
Kamryn was matched with Star USA after interviewing for OEIP in Fall 2019 and completing the Building Global Business course in Spring 2020.
"This course provided me with the information I needed to feel confident going into my summer internship with Star USA," Kamryn added.
Star USA is a consulting, education and outsourcing agency that focuses on international trade. They help their clients, both international and local to Northeast Ohio, by focusing on the various aspects of export and import compliance. During Kamryn's time with Star USA, she expanded her knowledge in international trade by looking at real situations with real consequences. She was able to see the importance of their work and of international compliance. Topics covered during her internship include HTS classifications, ECCN and CTPAT.
Due to COVID-19 Kamryn's internship was moved to remote work where she was still able to support Star USA initiatives.
"Working remotely has shown me the importance of communication skills," Kamryn said. "We utilized the shared hub, Slack, to easily stay-in-touch with all of Star’s team members. While I was unable to shadow by sitting next to someone at their desk, Zoom’s screen share abilities were just as beneficial. This allowed me to follow along and listen to explanations of how Star employees work on projects."
"While I enjoyed working with my dog laying on my feet, I am also eager to possibly be able to work at Star’s office and meet everyone in person," she added. "Both Star USA and the program leaders have worked to ensure that it is a positive and beneficial experience."