This past summer, Blackstone LaunchPad, along with StartUp Vegas and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), placed 30 students with 18 local companies for an immersive 10-week paid summer internship. One of those students, Julieta Puga Martinez, was placed with LVGEA in a data research role. Originally from Mexico, Puga Martinez moved to Las Vegas with her family five years ago and is currently a senior majoring in economics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She shares more about her experience interning with LVGEA.
Q: How did you become interested in economics as a major?
A: First, I wanted to know more about how the world worked. I had so many questions regarding who decides how much money there is, how different policies affect the economy in certain countries, and why some countries are richer and others are poorer. I just wanted to know how everything worked.
Q: How did you hear about the summer internship opportunity, and why did it interest you?
A: I was looking at Handshake, a platform for UNLV students to search for internships and jobs, and I saw that StartUp Vegas was partnering with LVGEA, and they had a data analyst internship. I thought it could be a great fit for me, and I decided to apply.
Q: Tell me a little bit about the summer internship and what you worked on.
A: The position was Data Analyst & Economic Researcher. My job was to help LVGEA advance research. For example, I would research future developments planned for Las Vegas, or I would utilize marketing materials to determine the best ways to attract a new company. As a matter of fact, my final project was to identify a company that didn’t already have a presence in Las Vegas and to build a business case for why that company should move to the region and how it would be mutually beneficial for both the company and the region.
Q: What was your favorite part about the internship?
A: My favorite part was getting to work with the LVGEA team and getting to work directly with the marketing team. I think it really helped me improve my research skills as well. Plus, the team was always available to provide feedback and tell me how I could improve. I’m definitely going to apply that knowledge in my classes and my future career.
Q: How do you feel this internship has prepared you for a career in economics?
A: Actually, the internship helped me a lot. My research skills are definitely better. I now know more about looking for reliable sources of data and how to find credible websites for information.
This wasn’t just a summer internship for me; it was more than that. The internship taught me skills that I’ll not only use now in my studies but also later when I get a full-time job. I’m grateful that I had this opportunity, and I would encourage everyone to look for internships.
Q: Finally, where do you see yourself in five years?
A: My main focus now is to get my bachelor’s degree in economics. However, after that, I would like to get a job as a data researcher or data analyst because I really enjoyed doing this internship. At the same time, I like feeling like I’m contributing to a company in my own way. Furthermore, I want to be able to provide information to a company to help them make the best business decisions they can.
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