Sales competition leads Alvernia student to full-time role with Fortune 500 firm

PHOTO: Michael Andrew ’26 (second from left) with fellow interns during a Graybar training program.

Alvernia University student-athlete Michael Andrew ’26 discovered a life-changing professional opportunity this summer, thanks to a connection made at a regional sales competition. What began as a classroom presentation and a professor’s encouragement led to a nationwide internship, high-stakes projects, national networking and ultimately, a full-time job offer.

Andrew, a marketing major and pitcher on Alvernia’s baseball team, secured a highly competitive internship with Graybar, a Fortune 500 electrical and data supply company with offices across the United States. The opportunity emerged after he participated in the RBI National Sales Challenge, a competition Alvernia students joined under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Business Jane Brooker, Ph.D.

“The sales competition did wonders for me to land the internship at Graybar,” Andrew said. “Before the competition, I didn’t have much direction on where I wanted to go with my career. Participating gave me clarity, relationships and the confidence to step into something new.”

At the competition, Andrew connected with representatives from Graybar who were actively searching for students to join their internship and leadership trainee program. The event introduced him to industry professionals and gave him the confidence to explore a career path he had not previously considered.

“As one would do, I walked up to each of the tables looking to learn about their companies,” Andrew said. “I hit it off with Graybar. Sholonda Chipepo pushed me in the right direction, informing me there was an office about 30 minutes from my house, and I also had a great conversation with Scott Kennedy, who encouraged me to apply.”

Once he earned the position, Andrew jumped into hands-on work, rotating through departments, shadowing sales professionals, and interacting directly with clients. During his first week, he was invited into a major sales meeting where leadership emphasized that interns represent the future of the company.

“At Graybar, my main responsibility was to shadow someone new each week,” he said. “I learned their programs and used them not only in practice, but also to complete quotes for customers.” 

Andrew also collaborated with a cohort of 25 interns from across the country. Together, they worked on a national team project aimed at revamping Graybar’s sales trainee program, with the ambitious goal of saving the company $1 million annually by 2028. His drive and initiative quickly stood out, leading Graybar to fly Andrew to St. Louis for an intern and leadership trainee convention.

“The most valuable lesson I learned from my boss, Judson Entrekin, was that if you play to your strengths too much, it can also be a weakness,” Andrew said. “At first, I thought my confidence was only a positive. But I realized that overconfidence could lead to ignoring feedback or missing mistakes. Now that I’m aware of it, team projects are seamless.”

At the end of the summer, Graybar offered Andrew a full-time leadership trainee position following graduation. He credits the internship and the sales competition for helping him find his professional direction and build a network of mentors and industry contacts.

“I now have a career path I’m very satisfied with,” he said. “And it’s all because I put myself out there and capitalized on opportunity.”