Hi, my name is Chaz, and I’m a corporate communications intern for Williams this summer. I’ll be a senior at Oklahoma State University studying both strategic communication and Spanish. An interesting fact about me is that I’m an official member of Dr Pepper’s advocacy program, the #PepperPack. I even have an official Larry Culpepper outfit to prove it, fanny pack and all!

This summer’s intern program is themed #TheAmazingInternship and features the hashtag #SprintToSuccess. The Williams early career program team expressed the idea that everyone has a finish line to reach at the end of the summer. We’re all sprinting to reach our goals. I’ve never been much of a runner; however, this is one race I think I could set a pace for.

We recently wrapped up a three-day intern institute at our headquarters office in Tulsa, Okla. It was great to finally meet all my colleagues from other locations across our enterprise such as Houston, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and field sites like Tunkhannock, Penn. and Moundsville, W. Va.

This summer, Williams has 45 interns representing 16 different universities.

We had a blast learning about the business operations of Williams, networking with fellow Williams professionals, participating in interactive leadership development activities and even taking a selfie with Chief Executive Office Alan Armstrong and Chief Operating Office Micheal Dunn after a Q&A session.

Each of us has our own individual finish line to sprint toward this summer. There’s no doubt that we’ll encounter a few hurdles along the way, but we’ll take that leap of faith following the guidance of our mentors and fellow employees.

“You’re going to be setting your own pace throughout your career and it’s up to you how hard you push for opportunities,” Armstrong said.

My take away from  Armstrong’s advice is to seek out and embrace opportunities for growth. When I cross my personal finish line later this summer, I plan for it to be a success to remember.

“My favorite thing about Williams is the company culture,” said Micah, an engineering intern located in Houston. “It’s a culture of collaboration; everyone is going toward the same goal. It’s a race but we are running it together.”