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Summer Internships: Matt Proefke

Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships. Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability, develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.

Many students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet:

Ferris State UniversityMatt Proefke

He is: a senior in Information Security and Intelligence, from Lowell, Michigan.

His Internship: Matt is working with Auto-Owners Insurance at their headquarters in Lansing, where he is maintaining email and web gateways, conducting spam investigations, fixing antivirus endpoint clients, remoting to computers away from the headquarters.

Future Plans: Based on his experience with Auto-Owners, Matt would welcome an offer from the company, but is open to other opportunities that might develop elsewhere in the state of Michigan.

Other experience gained through Ferris: Matt has competed twice with other Ferris ISI students in the College Cyber-Defense competition, a regional test of intelligence skills held at Davenport University in Caledonia this year.  They maintained a system that was being attacked by professional “PAN” (Performance Assessment Test) testers, and had to perform required tasks.

Advice for other students seeking internships: Start early. Matt had contacted the College of Business’ internship coordinator, Paul Kwant, in the spring of last year to start the process. After researching his options, he accepted the offer months ahead of beginning his internship with Auto-Owners.

MEET THE INTERNS HOMEPAGE