HAYS, Kan. -- Six students completed grant-funded internships in Fort Hays State University's College of Business and Entrepreneurship during the fall 2014 semester, the first in a new internship program for the college.

Three entrepreneurial internships were funded by the Peter and Pamela Werth Foundation, and three northwest Kansas business internships were funded by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. The internships were developed and coordinated by the college's Management Development Center, directed by Sabrina L. William.

The Werth entrepreneurial internships:

Ernesto Mendoza, a Garden City (67846) senior majoring in finance, was a financial analysis intern for the Small Business Development Center startup program ProfitCents in Hays.

Phillip Haslouer, a Hope (67451) junior majoring in marketing, worked on marketing projects for TK's Smokehaus in Hays.

Eric Hymer, an Overland Park (66213) senior majoring in marketing, was a business, entrepreneur and marketing intern for Social Change Nation, Overland Park.

Hansen Foundation-funded internships:

Andres Torres-Caballero, a Bogota, Columbia, graduate student majoring in business administration, was a marketing intern for Shiloh Vineyard LLC, WaKeeney.

Amber Zvolanek, a Russell (67665) senior majoring in tourism and hospitality management, was a marketing and event planning intern for Kansas Originals, Wilson.

Nicole Cooper, an Osawatomie (66064) senior majoring in management, interned in human resources for Lang Diesel, Hays.

Businesses selected for the internships agreed to a $500 cash match for the semester with each business receiving an intern who would work a total of 240 hours for the semester.

The MDC screened resumes and selected candidates to interview. The top candidates from that process were referred to each business for additional interviews. Businesses made the final hiring decisions.

During the semester, all students recorded learning experiences, challenges and recommendations and then utilized that information to prepare end-of-semester presentations to an audience of FHSU faculty and staff, internship business representatives and two trustees from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation Board of Trustees. Students were also able to obtain school credit for their internships if they chose to do so.

The MDC office is in the process of finalizing 12 spring 2015 grant-funded internships in areas that will include hotel management, information programming and technology, human resources, financial analysis, marketing, and entrepreneurial-based efforts.

"I am very excited Fort Hays State University has the opportunity to provide outstanding internship experiences for students and to contribute value to the organizations assisted by the interns," said Dr. Mark Bannister, COBE dean.