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University of Pittsburgh
Evan Rose
My name is Evan Rose and I just completed my first summer with Student Painters. I went into this summer looking to strengthen my résumé and what I got was the most memorable experience of my life. The knowledge that I gained owning my own business for 4 months was more valuable than the knowledge I have gained in the last 8 years of school. Besides learning how to price and paint a house, I learned how to be a professional businessman. To talk to a middle-aged doctor or lawyer and be viewed as an equal member of society is an incredible feeling and cannot be attained with any other internship. The fact that I was responsible for the well being of 6 people, three of whom were older than me, was another rewarding aspect of this job. The leadership intangibles and people skills that this internship has brought out of me will be utilized in my future occupations for the rest of my professional career. With never previously holding a paintbrush outside of an art class, I ran an $112,000 exterior painting business and profited around $16,000. I couldn’t have accomplished this feat without my Student Painters family. Student Painters management provided me with hands-on training, a partnership with Sherwin Williams, and were there to help every step of the way. Most of all, Student Painters provided me with an outlet to showcase my work ethic and has put me in a prime position to acquire any job that I desire when I graduate college in 2 years.
Anthony Smith
My name is Anthony Smith and I am now a sophomore business student at the University of Pittsburgh. This was my first year with Student Painters and it was a fantastic experience. I was number one in production in PA and was in the top twenty in the country with just under $70,000 produced. I also did very well in sales having sold just under $100,000 in jobs. However, these things were simply icing on the cake for me over the summer. The real reward for me was the experience I gained from the program. In my opinion, there is no internship or activity you can do over the summer that makes you grow in your knowledge, experience, and confidence as much as running your own business. Student Painters removed the road blocks for me and allowed me to learn all these things. The better part about the experience I gained is my ability to transfer it to my resume. This internship has put me far and above most other people in my field and will give me a great competitive advantage in the future when I go to apply for jobs. The way I see it, while it is good summer money now, it will translate to even greater success in my professional career and that is something I thank Student Painters for. I have also gone through the interview process to become a district manager in PA and got the job. The chance for advancements in the company is something I really like and I am looking forward to my next year with the company and my rookies who I will hopefully be taking on the cruise in 2013. I thank Student Painters for all the opportunities they have given me and I am proud of all the work I had done. I would suggest this internship to anyone who had the drive to better themselves in an amazing way. It is hard, but no good things come easy.
Michael Pettinato
Student Painters was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When I first had the opportunity to join the company last fall, I really had no idea what I was getting into. As a business major, I knew I wanted to pursue an internship at some point, but never believed I would have the chance to partake in one of this caliber. I’m not going to lie, at times Student Painters pushed me beyond what I thought at the time was my limit. Yet, this entire experience has showed me that I am capable of so much more. Before this internship, I was very shy and lacked strong communication skills. However, as I look back after all that I have accomplished, I can now confidently say that I can comfortably hold conversations with strangers and relate business topics in almost any situation. Ever since I entered college, I dreamed of running and operating a successful business, yet I didn’t have the push or the resources to launch one myself. Student Painters has taught me to have patience, persistence, and most importantly to have fun while doing something I love; three important aspects of a great businessman. The $60,000 production mark at times appeared out of reach, but with the support of my executive, Anthony Smith, VP Andrew Dennison, my entire painting crew, and my family and friends, I can now kick back and join in on the celebration of a successful summer. It’s a great feeling! I can’t thank Student Painters and the entire staff enough for all their guidance and support this past year. See everyone on the cruise!