Caroline Bailey ’26 completed her internship at the sweetest place on earth this past summer: Hershey. Located in Pennsylvania, Bailey spent her days in the theme park known for its iconic roller coasters, chocolate treats and Hershey characters.

A Food & Beverage Industry Management 2+2 major at Johnson & Wales University with a focus in Baking & Pastry, Bailey used the communication and leadership skills learned in her classes to make an impact at Hershey. From working with various groups of people, to helping run concerts smoothly for guests, there was a lot to learn at this internship where she was the food and beverage training and development intern.

Not only was this a great learning opportunity, but Bailey got one step closer to her dream: owning a gluten-free bakery.

From Nostalgia to Reality: Securing the Internship

Students find internships in a variety of ways — whether through talking to professors, the job fair or Handshake, our campus job portal, where Bailey came across the application. A driving factor for her internship was a leadership position that included something in addition to being in the kitchen, which is what led her to Hershey, as she was able to lead groups of people throughout her workdays.

She reminisces, “When I was a little girl, I built my own candy bar at Hershey. Recently, I was scrolling on Handshake, and I thought, ‘Wow, how cool would it be if I was a part of this for my internship?’”

Not only did Hershey evoke nostalgia for Bailey, but the internship role also directly tied into what she wants to do after graduating from JWU. “In my future, I would want to manage a massive team,” she shares. “This helped me get my foot in the right door by letting me see a test of what it’s like to manage other people.”

Bailey wants to run a gluten-free bakery when she is older, as her mom has celiac disease, leading Bailey to only make gluten-free desserts when home. This is where managing other people comes into play, as owning a bakery involves keeping many people on task and managing many things at once.

A Sweet Summer Filled with Events

While every day at Hershey brought something different, the busiest — and some of the most rewarding — days were concert days, when Bailey’s communication and leadership skills were put to the test.

Hershey hosts large outdoor and indoor events that are run by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, which includes producing a variety of concerts. “I would start off by training new hires, which could include international or local workers. My training sessions involved making sure everyone can serve safely, as well as taking other ServSafe courses,” she shares.

She, along with the other interns, would go out into the park, ensuring each restaurant had what they needed and that everything was properly made and stored. “Then we would go over to the stadium and communicate policies to the other employees and volunteers about the concert,” she explains. “As the last component of my job, I would be a beverage attendant helping during the concert.”

Bailey truly loved working at Hershey, sharing, “The most rewarding part I found about working with Hershey this summer was all the amazing people and events!”

Putting Communication Skills to Work

Bailey applied skills learned at JWU directly to her internship: “I definitely used my communication skills, because sometimes I would be teaching and informing around 50 people about the food and beverage department.”

An example of translating communication skills to an event experience: “In the park I could be faced with a very disgruntled guest, and I would have to help them or see if I could help them. Most of the time I was able to help them. I do not think that I would have been able to handle all these guests without the proper communication.”

The communication she learned at JWU also helped her train new hires, including people who came from other parts of the world, where there may have been a language and cultural barrier.

She elaborates, “Sometimes communication was challenging, but at the end of the day we understood each other and we were able to get everything done.”

Skills Through Leadership Positions on Campus

Bailey’s ability to communicate effectively at Hershey didn’t begin with her internship. Her leadership experiences at JWU had already given her opportunities to work with different groups, manage stressful situations and take responsibility for others.

Bailey has served as president of Delta Phi Epsilon, as well as vice president of the Reformed University Fellowship.

Bailey elaborates, “Delta Phi Epsilon is a sorority on campus that is small but plans to grow a lot in the next few semesters. Being a sister of DPHIE means so much to me; it’s about sisterhood and family, and I felt that was the right choice for me.”

The Reformed University Fellowship is a “national club that lets college students learn more about the Bible and the ability to pray for those who need prayer at a certain time.”

Both leadership positions gave Bailey the experience to communicate with different groups of people, handle stressful situations and get things completed in a timely manner— all of which enhanced her role at Hershey this summer.

From JWU to the Food & Beverage Industry

The’s Baking & Pastry focus of Bailey’s degree helped her succeed at her internship by allowing her to understand the time and patience that goes into creating dishes, such as time-sensitive chocolate showpieces, for an event — including ensuring everything is prepped and ready for service in a timely manner.

At the same time, she put knowledge she’s been obtaining from her Food and Beverage Industry Management degree into practice. “The food and beverage aspect while working at Hershey really gave me the opportunity to understand more of the management side — being in charge and growing and developing my connections with higher-ups such as the CEO,” shares Bailey.

She elaborates, “Studying Food and Beverage Management at JWU gave me the foundation I needed to succeed at Hershey. My classes and hands-on experiences taught me skills in food safety, operations, leadership, cost control and guest service, which I was able to apply directly during my internships.”

Adds Bailey, “JWU helped me feel confident stepping into a fast-paced food and beverage environment, while Hershey gave me the opportunity to put my education into practice, grow professionally and gain real-world experience.”

Looking Toward a Future at Hershey

As graduation approaches, Bailey is turning her attention to her future career.

“My main goal right after college is to go back to Hershey, because it seriously is the sweetest place on Earth! I hope to get a full-time job there either as a manager in a training program or as a supervisor for the training and safety team for food and beverage,” shares Bailey.

She hopes to work her way up to the director of food and beverage operations, continuing to have the opportunity to grow in this area that she is passionate about.

Author Ava Zajczenko ’27 is a Nonprofit Management major with a focus on food insecurity and works as a student assistant at JWU, contributing to JWU News.