United Group is proud to offer several different internship opportunities to high school and college students on a yearly basis. These internships provide students a first-hand look into the many facets of the real estate industry, and United Group is very fortunate to have employed several talented and ambitious interns in the past.
This year is no different, with the addition of Shawn Throneburg and Connor McElroy, two college students interning with United Group this summer.
Shawn and Connor both hail from Siena College and have played a productive role in the company’s accounting department and marketing department, respectively. United Group has appreciated their enthusiasm, motivation and hard work this summer.
Happy National Intern Day, Shawn and Connor! Keep up the great work! Learn more about Shawn and Connor below:
Shawn Throneburg – Corporate Office – Accounting Department
Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?
Shawn: I currently attend Siena College and I’m going into my junior year. My major is accounting, and I’m enrolled in a 5-year accelerated master’s program for CPA certification.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?
Shawn: I decided to pursue an internship with United Group when Kim Williams told me about the opportunity a few weeks ago. When I looked more into the company and met Tracey and others in the accounting department, I knew that this was the best place for me to grow and thrive for my profession.
Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?
Shawn: I’ve learned that I need to take advantage of the resources that I have here and that I need to ask questions if I have them. Asking questions has always been hard because I believe that I should already know the things I’m confused about, but since I don’t know everything, having people around me who are willing to help and break things down makes all the difference.
Q: What is the one thing you miss most about being a kid?
Shawn: The thing I miss most about being a kid is not having to work or be responsible. Don’t get me wrong, I love to work and make money but some days I just wish I had no responsibilities and that my summer vacations could truly be just relaxing for months lol!
Q: What was your favorite subject in high school and why?
Shawn: My favorite subject in High School was Accounting. I took Financial Accounting in my junior year of high school and it was my favorite class that I think I ever took in all four years. From the first class everything just came to me naturally and made me happy and genuinely excited when I would figure out the correct solution. This led me to taking college accounting in my senior year and loving that, so then I decided to major in Accounting in college and haven’t looked back since.
Q: If you could visit any place in the world where would you choose to go and why?
Shawn: If I could visit any place in the world it would 100% be Italy! I have family in Italy and I’ve never been so if I could go anywhere it would definitely be Italy to explore where my family is originally from.
Connor McElroy – Corporate Office – Marketing Department
Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?
Connor: Siena College, Marketing with a concentration in Digital marketing and management (you can just say marketing or digital marketing, whatever tickles your fancy)
Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?
Connor: Michaela was extremely welcoming and upfront right off the bat at the carrier fair, I think she really sold it to me. She made it seem like a very rewarding experience. Also, after further research I found out United group is rated one of the best places to work in the area and their online reviews reflected that. So far, I really enjoy it and I wouldn’t disagree with the reviews.
Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?
Connor: A lot. In the past few months I’ve gotten a lot of real world experience that I couldn’t get in a class room. Also, able to use much of what I learned in class and apply it to what I have been doing here. I feel like this internship is much more hands on in comparison to others. I feel like the work I have been doing has been important to the company, as opposed to getting coffee. I was able to get very good experience on running advertisements on social media and google platforms enabling me to see how small changes can make a world of deference in advertising.
Q: If you could live in the world of one television show, what would it be and why?
Connor: The crocodile hunter, just to I can be Steve Irwin’s hype man. Blimey!
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
Connor: People who think boneless wings actual chicken wings. That’s popcorn chicken and some sauce. It's un-American and downright blasphemous.
Q: If you could go on a road trip with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Connor: Sloth from the Gooneys, he seems like a cool dude, and I bet he knows where One Eyed Willy’s gold is.