Flavia Villaca de Faria and Arturo Fonseca have some big things in common: They are both Latino students studying at Grace College who recently completed a summer internship at CRH, the largest building materials company in North America. But they have their differences, too: Villaca de Faria is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and pursuing a communication degree while Fonseca hails from Temuco, Chile, and is studying entrepreneurial management. A few years ago, they never would have guessed they would be studying at a college in northern Indiana and working for a Global 500 company over the summer. But this doesn’t surprise Randy Lake, president and CEO of CRH Americas. Lake is a Grace College graduate and current Grace College trustee who decided last year that he’d like to give Grace students the opportunity to intern at CRH and gain the valuable experience that comes with real work.
“My life and career path aren’t linear,” says Lake. “I graduated from Grace with a degree in business education and administration, and I wanted to be a teacher. I did that for about a year and a half, during which time I also coached athletics. I found that I liked coaching a lot more than teaching, and I was better at it. Soon I ran into a friend who was in the building materials industry, and he connected me with a sales position. That job led me to CRH, and I’ve been there ever since.”
When Lake came to campus last fall for a board meeting and to speak at a Center for Career Connections event, Grace College Associate Director of Internships DeeAnna Muraski knew that CRH had a lot to offer students by way of internships. She followed up with Lake after the event and began work to create positions for Grace students.