by Madison Neal, ALE Ambassador
As part of K-State’s commitment to meaningful Applied Learning Experiences, internships give students the chance to build professional skills before graduation. Public Relations and Advertising graduate Mackenzie Langan exemplified that mission through her internship with KC Bier Co., based in Kansas City, Missouri.
At K-State, an ALE internship provides supervised work experience that links academic knowledge with professional skills. Each internship includes defined objectives, a sustained timeframe, student reflection, and sense-making to be applied to future experiences.
During Langan’s internship, she conducted market surveys, visited distributors, assessed weekly sales performance, and helped coordinate promotional events while finishing her last semester on campus in Manhattan.
"As a small company, we're particular about our brand and image," said Will Ridge, KC Bier Co.’s Kansas Sales Manager and K-State alum. "Having someone we could train directly was very important to us to fill that labor need."
Ridge hired Langan through Handshake after collaborating with the ALE team.
Though Langan majored in Public Relations and Advertising, she has long been interested in sales. Ridge noted her drive to learn about the brand and industry.
“I’ve always liked the sales world,” Langan said. “So, it was mainly advertising the brand and then with sales through just putting out products, being knowledgeable about the product, and then informing others.”
KC Bier Co. hosts many events each year. Langan attended some and helped coordinate them. She especially enjoyed KC Oktoberfest, where she observed the teamwork and planning required for large events.
Additionally, with Langan in the fold, she was able to expand the company's reach by attending two festivals to which KC Bier Co. had previously been unable to attend. expanding their reach.
"I also worked with Cathy, the CEO’s wife, who managed logistics for large-scale brewery events and marketing campaigns," Langan said. "Watching her organize every aspect of event planning, vendor coordination, and on-site setup efficiently showed me a strong model of leadership in marketing and hospitality."
During her internship, Langan’s efforts directly increased the total volume of products she marketed to independent stores in her assigned territory by 4.6%.
Langan reflected on her experience and described it as one of the most valuable she had had in college.
Through the internship, Langan gained greater confidence in her abilities to lead, communicate, and authentically represent a company.
Ridge emphasized that experiences like this internship help students prepare for success in the workforce.
He looks forward to the ALE program’s growth, seeing its potential to connect students with workforce opportunities.
“As a corporate partner, I look forward to the ALE program's expansion and the talent it can provide,” said Ridge.
Applied Learning Experiences is imperative three of the Next-Gen K-State Strategic plan, released in 2023. It states that every student will complete an ALE before graduating.
To learn more about Applied Learning Experiences, including available opportunities and how to participate, visit the university's ALE information page or contact the K-State Applied Learning Experiences office at appliedlearning@ksu.edu