John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation

Amanda Bleasdale - Information Technology Intern (Owens-Illinois)

Amanda Bleasdale

I interned at Owens-Illinois as an Information Technology Development Program (ITDP) intern from May through August 2014. I will start full-time with PricewaterhouseCoopers in summer 2015 as a Risk Assurance Associate.

During my internship I participated in multiple projects dealing with SharePoint, databases and project management, and helped with the initial documentation for the Environmental, Health and Safety software project. I expressed my interest for information security and was able to work on three assignments with the Information Security team at Owens-Illinois.

I most enjoyed the atmosphere and the people I worked with during my internship. I loved the projects I worked on and those who helped me throughout my time there. I greatly appreciated them listening to my interests so I could work with the Information Security team.

The internship at Owens-Illinois allowed me to gain a deeper insight into information security as well as different aspects of information technology. After my internship at Owens-Illinois, I felt stronger in my technical skills.

COBI was crucial in preparing me for the position by perfecting my resume and making my personal brand shine during the career development courses. My information systems classes gave me the knowledge and technical skills to excel in my roll at Owens-Illinois.

COBI helped me obtain the position with Owens-Illinois through the internship opportunities e-mailed to students. I saw the position fit very well with the skills I gained throughout the past few years at UT. COBI also helped me obtain my full-time position through the job fair, which gave me the opportunity to highlight my talents and show the recruiter how my interests and the opportunities at PwC aligned perfectly.

I choose The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation because my grandfather graduated from UT with his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA). I also enjoyed my campus visit where I was able to talk with the associate dean one-on-one about the opportunities in the College. During my college search, The University of Toledo expressed sincere interest in me and my career aspirations.

My major is accounting and information systems with a minor in marketing. My passion for technology began in high school. My best friend and role model encouraged me to join INTERalliance, an organization that gets high school students involved in IT and computer science and allows them to gain experience at major companies in the Cincinnati area. After taking computer programming and CAD, I began an internship with GE Aviation through INTERalliance as an IT analyst intern. I loved my classes and internship, which allowed my passion for technology to grow. After encouragement from friends and family, I added accounting as a second major since the intersection of accounting and information systems is exactly where I wish to take my career. I added a marketing minor because I am also interested in the ways technology and marketing complement each other.

I would strongly recommend studying accounting and information systems since there are important functions in every business with so many opportunities. The professors and classes available at UT COBI are amazing in their ability to provide real-world application.  The biggest reason to study business at UT COBI is that Toledo feels like home with all the professors, staff, and students being very personable and working towards a common goal. Lastly, I would want to encourage anyone to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities the business school provides. I am very thankful that I was able to spend a semester in Italy and will be returning to Europe again in May through a faculty-led program (IBUS 4100). The University of Toledo and especially the College of Business and Innovation are very supportive and helpful with the study abroad process. Overall, UT COBI has provided a strong foundation for me to accomplish and surpass all of the goals I set throughout my college career.

Last Updated: 6/27/22