When Aubrey Miller ’16 (marketing), manager of the client audit team for pharmacy benefit manager and health-care provider Optum, was looking for summer interns for 2022, she turned to her alma mater.

Last year, Hanna Yazdi ’23 (marketing), a Business Honors and Women’s Leadership Program student at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics, had excelled in an audit analyst internship with Optum.

Miller, herself a Business Titan and alumna of the inaugural year of the Women’s Leadership Program, accepted CSUF Accounting and Women’s Leadership student Daphne Gregory ’23 into the fold this past summer – and was not disappointed.

“Business Titans always strive for excellence. Hanna and Daphne were no exception to that. Since day one of Daphne’s internship, she not only wanted to grow in her skillset and learn, she wanted to exceed expectations. She consistently challenged processes and asked for the ‘why’ behind why we do what we do, leading to continued operational excellence,” explains Miller.

“I would highly advocate internship opportunities for CSUF students because they come prepared each day to take on any challenge you give them and ultimately strive to make the organization better.”

Traveling to Company Headquarters and “Shark Tank”

A highlight of Gregory’s experience with Optum was traveling to the company’s Minnesota headquarters to network and learn about the various departments and roles in the organization. Another high point was a virtual Shark Tank-inspired competition in which she was assigned to create a quality impact story and present it to upper management.

“The Shark Tank project was a highlight due to the amount of time and effort that I put in, and seeing the end result was a really rewarding experience. I was guided by Aubrey through the whole process and reached out to others within our team to put together a strong presentation,” explains Gregory.

“Daphne’s Shark Tank project for her internship left a lasting impression on the quality management team and will be the model impact story that our team utilizes going forward,” says Miller. “Daphne made a difference in what we do.”

Building a Foundation for the Future

Gregory credits the Women’s Leadership Program as a source of mentorship and experience needed to excel in intern opportunities such as she had at Optum this summer.

“The Women’s Leadership Program provided great guidance into how to get the most out of this experience, and I learned so much from my mentors,” she says. “I applied the information gathered through the Women’s Leadership meetings into my internship, such as strong communication skills and building confidence within a professional role.”

Looking to the future, Gregory sees herself in the accounting field, perhaps in health care.

“I would like to continue to focus my efforts on helping others through my business skills,” she says.

And Miller will no doubt return again and again to Business Titans to fulfill Optum’s need for interns and staff.

Getting in Touch With Business Titan Talent

Are you a business owner or hiring manager and are looking for talent for an internship or entry-level career opportunity? Explore the college’s Employer Resources or reach out to [email protected] to get in touch with our hardworking students.