(Winnebago, NE) — Ho-Chunk has kicked off its summer internship program in Nebraska after sifting through 600 applicants.
It is opening pathways to higher education and leadership positions within the Winnebago Tribe in Nebraska. The Ho-Chunk Incorporated internship program will mentor nearly two dozen students this summer, 14 of whom are members of the Winnebago Tribe.
Aaron LaPointe, CEO of Ho-Chunk Capital, started as an intern and said the program is an opportunity for interns to learn a business from the ground up – and he has personal experience.
“I was studying agriculture, and the CEO here at Ho-Chunk was like, ‘What? We have a tribal member studying agriculture? He’s got to run this farm,'” LaPointe recounted.
LaPointe started by running the farm and ascended to head Ho-Chunk Capital, an investment arm of the corporation. He took on several other roles on his way up the ladder, too. The internship program is highly competitive. From hundreds of applicants, only 24 were accepted.
In addition to learning skills they need to be successful in business, LaPointe said, interns also gain the confidence to do their jobs.
“Our interns aren’t just sitting in a cubicle off to the side filing,” he explained. “They’re in the board meetings, they’re in the executive board meetings and strategizing business, and we really make it a well-rounded experience.”
The internship program runs until Aug. 1.