APEX Fellow combines interests in data science and economics to support development of community food systems in Michigan

A statistical and data sciences major and economics minor at The College of Wooster, Keeyeon Choi ’24 spent her summer as a data integrity management intern for Taste the Local Difference, a local food consulting, media, and marketing agency based in Traverse City, Michigan. The agency partnered with the College’s APEX Fellowship program when operations manager and Wooster alumna Grace Gamble ’17 recommended hiring summer interns through the program. Gamble supervised Choi as she worked to clean and streamline the company’s database. The internship required practical applications of skills across Choi’s two main fields of interest. In the position, Choi combined her background in data analytics with her interest in business and marketing to support staff in various projects to ensure accurate partner data. Beyond this, Choi’s work directly assisted Taste the Local Difference in their mission to establish local community food systems in Michigan, a cause she passionately supports.

“Taste the Local Difference is an ideal match for me as it combines my passions and excitement, allowing me to contribute to something I truly care about.”

— Keeyeon Choi ’24

Why was your position a good fit for you?

“I worked as a data integrity management intern at Taste the Local Difference. This position aligned perfectly with my major, statistical and data sciences, and interests in marketing and media. Taste the Local Difference provided a valuable job experience that relates directly to my field. This position was an ideal match for me as it combined my passions and excitement, allowing me to contribute to something I truly care about.”

What interests you about the work you did?

“As the first data integrity management intern at Taste the Local Difference, a significant portion of my responsibilities revolved around ensuring data integrity and accuracy. Providing weekly reports to both my supervisor and the entire team allowed me to witness the impact of my work and the ways in which it facilitated improved communication among team members and their partners.”

 What are some skills you’ve learned that you see yourself carrying forward in your career?

“The internship opportunity has given me some valuable insights. I got to see firsthand the inner workings of the company and the sheer amount of time and effort required for each event or partnership. It became clear that the more time and effort I invested, the better the results. I also learned that constant communication is absolutely crucial throughout the internship process. While it may take some time to adapt to the environment, I realized that it’s important not to simply wait for others to reach out to you, but to actively engage and participate.”

Posted in Experiential Learning on August 16, 2023.