Eleven students. Twelve weeks. One new program with a big impact.

Business HIRE (High-Impact Rural Experience) matches Poole students with full-time, paid internships at rural North Carolina businesses. The program’s first cohort spent the summer immersed in nine different counties, building both personal and professional relationships while gaining real-world work experience. 

Thanks to an NC State University Foundation grant, they earned $25 per hour, a rate well above the national average for internships. 

The program also created a unique opportunity for the companies to tap into emerging talent, says Tyler Wiersma, Poole College’s director of high-impact experiences.

“Some rural employers might not have resources or reach to recruit Poole students,” he says. “We want to ensure we are serving all North Carolina communities, and Business HIRE gives us the opportunity to connect our students with employers throughout the state and develop new talent pipelines to help level the playing field.”

Read on to meet a few of the students who helped make this first year of Business HIRE a success:

Melissa Quinonez Mejia
Gill and Spore Mushroom Farm

Junior Melissa Quinonez Mejia spent her summer turning mushrooms into opportunity at Gill and Spore Mushroom Farm in Louisburg, a woman-owned business founded by NC State alumna Donia Jabbour (‘20, Food Science). 

Quinonez Mejia managed farmers market booths in Raleigh and Cary, doing everything from setting up displays and handling transactions to creating social media content and educating customers about specialty mushrooms.

“In a rural setting, relationships feel more personal and community-based,” she says. “Customers wanted to know the story behind the product, and that trust and authenticity made each interaction more meaningful.”

Jabbour credits Quinonez Mejia’s energy and professionalism with helping the farm expand its market presence and connect with hundreds of new customers. 

“Her work ethic allowed us to grow in ways we couldn’t have managed alone,” she says.

For Quinonez Mejia, the internship confirmed her career interest in combining business operations with finance. “This role gave me a deeper understanding of what it takes to sustain a business. It’s been rewarding to apply my skills and see real impact.”

Ethan Knodel
Tri-State Steel

Senior Ethan Knodel describes his 12-week internship at Tri-State Steel in Reidsville as “transformative.” Through the Business HIRE program, Knodel stepped into a full-time role in operations and supply chain, managing daily tasks from route sheets to material intake.

The experience pushed him beyond classroom learning, helping him develop leadership skills, adaptability and confidence in his voice as an introvert. He says the internship has provided the clearest view yet of how operations connect across a business and the preparation he needs for life after graduation.

“I’ve grown more in the past five weeks than I have in the last couple of years,” Knodel says.

Owner Steve Scott agrees, calling Knodel’s growth rewarding to watch. “He’s learned he can lead from his authentic self. That’s been powerful for us, too.”

While the internship was transformative for Knodel, it also had an impact on the company. 

“We wouldn’t do this if it didn’t benefit us.” Scott says. “Internships force us to teach, and when you teach, you re-evaluate your own processes. That’s valuable.”

Anna Lewis
KIOTI Tractor

Junior Anna Lewis ventured into new territory as a marketing intern with KIOTI Tractor, saying “the experience provided me with the confidence to take on the unknown.” She supported the company’s social media, event planning and graphic design, among other marketing tasks.

“I knew nothing about tractors and very little about large equipment marketing going into this role so every day was full of tasks that I had no experience with,” she says. “At the beginning, I was nervous to make a wrong move or overstep … but I grew my knowledge of the KIOTI brand and became more independent. Now I have the confidence to involve myself where I wouldn’t have in the past, which has helped me grow my network both on and off campus.”

Lewis’ supervisor, Rebecca Larkin, praised her positive attitude, initiative and attention to detail. 

“Anna made a meaningful impact through her reliability, collaborative spirit and thoughtful contributions,” Larkin says. “She was always punctual, engaged and consistently went above and beyond with her deliverables. She was a great asset to our team this summer.”

Lewis says she is grateful for the Business HIRE experience.

“The program provided me with an unbeatable support team that made finding my way at an internship much less stressful. They were there for me every step of the way, and I had a great summer because of them!”