BOZEMAN — Within the walls of Jabs Hall on Montana State University’s campus, scores of local business owners frequent networking nights held each semester to connect with employable students. Business classes equip students with the skills needed to succeed in professional employment.  

And the career-oriented Bracken Center — which provides individualized support for students seeking employment — ensures Bobcats get their feet in the door.  

Toby Blake, the Bracken Center’s director, has helped more than 300 students secure competitive summer internships since starting in the role in 2025. It’s a key goal of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship for students to have work experience before graduating, which helps them succeed at future employment, Blake said.   

In the college, close to 70% of students complete a professional internship, both at national organizations and at local businesses creating value closer to campus. This summer, 70 students completed internships for credit to learn new skills and prepare for future careers, Blake said.  

Three students who did internships this summer show the breadth of variety where students work, and also how pivotal MSU’s education and resources were in each experience.  

John Kamby, a junior from Minneapolis majoring in business marketing and minoring in international business, did his summer internship at the real estate firm Engel & Völkers in Bozeman. He was aided by a connection to recent MSU alumnus Jack Hays, who also interned there before graduating from the business college in May and landing a full-time marketing position. 

Though they didn’t know each other while in college, now the two work closely together on day-to-day tasks. Kamby said he has gained a lot of knowledge and insight by assisting realtors with creating marketing materials, social media posts and blogs. 

Kamby worked with Bracken Center coach Anne Shepherd, who knew he was interested in real estate and that Hays had started at Engel & Völkers. They leaned into the expansive MSU alumni network and made the connection. 

“The Bracken Center is really a hidden gem. I feel like everybody hears about it, but not enough people use it,” Kamby said. “It’s just a great tool – you might as well go in and get some help, and it’s completely free.” 

Sarah Nell Harp, a senior from Fayetteville, Georgia, pursuing a dual degree in marketing and graphic design with a minor in international business, also used MSU’s professional network to find two summer internships.  

This summer she split her time between Alosant, a Bozeman-based technology company that creates unique apps for planned communities, and Headwaters Technology Hub, which focuses on supporting the optics and photonics ecosystem in Montana.  

As Alosant’s marketing intern, Harp created graphics to share on social media and wrote copy to help tell the company’s story. At Headwaters, she developed the hub’s first newsletter, supported advancements in the Tech Hub’s marketing content management, and she also provided brand management-level support to the organization’s largest annual event.  

MSU associate professor Eric Van Steenberg connected Harp to Alosant, and for Headwaters she used the Bracken Center to help with application materials. Blake even wrote her a letter of recommendation.  

“The College of Business is really special in the fact that you know the professors so well and that they're there to help you throughout every process, whether it be your coursework, your job application or even serving as a reference,” Harp said. “It's just been great to be in a program that prioritizes professional development. The Bracken Center will actively review your resume, your LinkedIn and your cover letter. With Toby, we were literally scrolling LinkedIn together to find positions to apply to.” 

It’s not uncommon that summer internships lead to job offers for students when they graduate.  

William Gram, a senior finance major and accounting minor from Bozeman, has spent the summer interning for a wealth management firm, Edward Jones. He has accepted a job offer there as a wealth adviser upon his graduation in May 2027. 

The experience, which he started during the school year as a junior, has confirmed for Gram that he wants to pursue wealth management as a career. Once he passes certain licensing exams, he can start working one-on-one with the book of clients that he has already been building.  

Once struggling to decide between studying nursing, computer science or biology, Gram leveraged his personal connections, networking with people who had relationships with family members and with MSU. When the opportunity at Edward Jones came up, he switched his major to finance and has been decisively building up his skills in the field ever since.  

Gram said that classes he took in public speaking and data analytics were of great value to his everyday work and helped him learn important skills. 

“Excel is a powerful tool, and I use it every day now,” Gram said. “So, I had a really good foundation from Data Analytics 1 and 2, and then I was able to leverage that. It’s definitely helped me stay relevant in the workplace.”  

Of his public speaking class, he said he disliked it while in it, but in hindsight the experience has proven to be of great value.  

“Now I look back, and I learned a whole lot about myself and was able to build so much confidence,” Gram said. “So, I have a lot of thanks to give (the professor Bradford Rosenbloom and MSU).”  

Hays, the 2026 graduate from Arvada, Colorado, now at Engel and Völkers, also credited his experiences at MSU to aiding his career in real estate. While in school, Hays gained extensive professional experience as president of the university’s American Marketing Association chapter, which gives students the ability to compete in marketing competitions and prepare for a slate of careers in business.  

His advice to current students: pursue everything that interests you and lean into staying busy.  

“In college, a lot of what you put into it is what you get out of it,” Hays said. “So really embrace being busy for four years. Enjoy the grind and make yourself better by doing something to help your future career, whether that be AMA or accounting club or whatever it is that’s going to help you. Put yourself out there and go do it.  

“And, use the Bracken Center. The resource is there. It’s kind of dumb not to use it.”  

Located in Jabs Hall 110, the Bracken Center is open weekdays during the school year. MSU students can make an appointment online or simply walk in and ask for help.