[Freeport, Ill.] — Joey Paulsen, a Highland Community College (HCC) alum shares his pathway to getting an internship with the Chicago Bears, crediting Career Services with helping him prepare. A 2024 graduate with a certificate in small business management, Paulsen will support the Bears with game day operations, fan services, hospitality and more.
While attending HCC, Paulsen says he struggled to find opportunities for an internship or student work, leading him to reach out to Career Services.
“Career Services Professionals thrive on success stories like the one we are hearing from Joey,” said Anthony Musso, Career Services Manager. “His career growth in the last two years wasn’t an accident; he put in the hard work to make it happen. And that work was done here, at a community college in Freeport, and it opened a door with the Chicago Bears. These are the stories we want the community and prospective students to hear!”
Throughout his time with Career Services, Paulsen built a professional resume, refined what types of jobs he was looking for, and developed interviewing skills. Prior to the internship with the Chicago Bears, he previously completed an internship and was hired part-time at United Way of Northwest Illinois, where he learned about what it takes to work in a professional setting.
Paulsen has always dreamed of working in the sports industry.
“As a kid, I was maybe not the best athlete or anything like that, but I was always very interested in the operations side of things and seeing what I can do to help,” Paulsen said. “I always wanted to work in the sports industry. I mentioned that to Career Services when I first got there. That’s kind of my goal, my end goal is to be in that field.”
On July 31, Joey started his internship and says his goal is to get experience in this position and eventually move into a full-time position in the field.
To learn more, visit the HCC Career Services page.