I had the amazing opportunity of joining Teton Toyota and the Teton Auto Group marketing department during my externship in 2024. You may be asking yourself what does marketing have to do with STEM, and what could I possibly bring back to my students?

A term that I’ve learned in marketing is “activation.” This is basically what you are going to do in order to draw people in and interact with them. We did anything from playing carnival games at the rodeo to coding challenges at the Ronald McDonald Family Movie Night. I look forward to bringing this philosophy back to my students by activating their curiosity with activities that will get them excited about what they are going to learn.

Gray and his team do a great job of focusing on relationships rather than just trying to sell cars. Over the course of these three months, I got to participate in so many events and make connections with other businesses and non-profits in the community. I cannot wait to use who I have met and what I have learned to benefit my students. There are already plans to partner with some of these establishments and bring in experts in areas to enhance their education.

Overall, I would not trade this experience for anything. I learned a lot, got to help put smiles on faces, and was part of a company that really is like family.