Three installments of the #SummerInTheLand series were held throughout the city 

 

Hundreds of interns and apprentices gathered at Pins Mechanical Co. & 16-Bit Bar + Arcade in Ohio City Wednesday evening to say goodbye to summer – but not Cleveland.

 

The event was the third installment of the #SummerInTheLand event series held throughout the city this summer, with the goal of connecting interns to peers in the region – and exposing them to the many offerings of Greater Cleveland. Nearly 1,000 attendees enjoyed the three events and connected throughout the last three months.

 

Aidja attended all three Summer in the Land parties, making personal and professional connections. “I met a lot people in the same field and company.”

 

 

Computer science major Khorshid Mohammed was also celebrating getting an offer to stay on at Sherwin Williams.

 

“The internship has been a great experience – there is so much opportunity at Sherwin Williams and I have learned so much.”

 

Mohammed also had high praise for the parties, and her adopted hometown.

 

“These events have been really fun, and my friends and I like the free stuff,” she adds with a smile. “I definitely want to stay in Cleveland.”

 

 

The Summer in the Land events were hosted by GCP, in conjunction with Cleveland Talent Alliance partners Destination Cleveland, Engage Cleveland, Global Cleveland, TeamNEO and the Cleveland Leadership Center. The events were sponsored by John Carroll University’s Boler College of Business.

 

“Summer in the Land is about connecting interns to each other and to the region,” says Greater Cleveland Partnership President and CEO Baiju R Shah. “We are thrilled that more than 1,000 interns working at over 300 companies in the region attended, and we are truly surprised that they attend 139 different colleges. We hope they enjoyed their summers and choose to begin their careers in the Cleveland area when they graduate.”

 

 

"Our goal was to help these college students experience more of what Greater Cleveland has to offer as a post-graduate destination," says Sara Greicius, Cleveland Talent Alliance Director. "By creating more opportunities to socialize, students find new, fun ways to explore the region together, rather than limiting their experience to a small footprint. And, as a result, they see the exciting possibilities of life in Cleveland. The Talent Alliance is here to create those opportunities for more people! We loved getting to know the interns and learning more about what they look for in a career and home. We’re eager to start implementing their feedback into future efforts."

 

The first party was held around Playhouse Square in June and the second at Edgewater in July.

 

All together, the events attracted more than 1000 unique registrants, from 139 colleges, 302 companies, 34 states and 14 countries.

 

Attendees bowled, played bocce and pinball, vintage arcade games and Jenga as they enjoyed Condado tacos and retro drinks complete with rocket pops.

 

Kingsford Adomako, of  North Carolina A & T State University, is interning at Medtronic in Cleveland this summer – his first time in Ohio.

 

“I have really liked learning about the city,” he says. “I didn’t know anything about it before, and the summer series gave me the chance to learn more.” 

 

Adomako, who says the House of Blues has become one of his favorite places, says he would definitely consider coming back to Cleveland.

 

Bedford native Ethan Smith is interning at Huntington Bank this summer.  A student at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, he says his summer experience has only helped convince him there’s no place like home.

 

“I would love to stay in Cleveland after college,” he says. “This is home.”

 

 

Did you attend Summer in the Land? Are you an intern spending “summer in the land”? Share your experiences on social with the hashtag #SummerInTheLand

 

Greater Cleveland Partnership’s All In vision for a Great Region on a Great Lake has five key priorities: Dynamic Business, Abundant Talent, Inclusive Opportunity, Appealing Community and Business Confidence. All of our work ties back to these values. This story relates to Appealing Community and Abundant Talent.