Sometimes the biggest opportunities come from conversations you wouldn't expect to have.
Being a Finance major at Endicott College, I am required to complete at least three internships before I graduate. Going into the summer, I had no idea where I was going to find one. That all changed after a lunch shift at the restaurant where I work. When a customer handed me his credit card to pay, I noticed the company name printed on the back. Curious, I asked the two men at my table if they were offering internships for the summer.
One of the men at my table happened to be Mike Wolfe, CEO of Delgado Stone.
A few conversations later, I found myself walking through the doors of Delgado Stone, getting a firsthand look at every part of the company, and gaining a completely different perspective on what it takes to run a successful business.
One of the greatest parts of being an intern at Delgado Stone is that I'm not limited to one department. Instead, I've been bouncing around and experiencing the business from every angle. This has given me a new perspective on an industry I had previously overlooked, and it's made me realize that every department is interconnected. No matter how different they may seem, they're all working toward the same goals.
Some days I find myself helping process payroll and learning how to onboard new employees into ADP. Other days, I'm traveling to different dealers, like SiteOne or New England Silica. I also spend time with the finance team, learning how every purchase, invoice, and payment supports the business, while working alongside the sales and marketing teams to see how customer relationships are built long before projects are completed.
What has really stood out to me, though, is the people. The people make the place, and it's been interesting to see how connected every department truly is.
One lesson that has stayed with me since the beginning came from Mike Wolfe, who said, "Showing up is the bare minimum. It's really the impact you make during your time with us." That idea has shaped the way I approach every week of my internship. Rather than simply shadowing people, I am trusted to contribute, whether that means helping improve internal documents, analyzing sales data, or working in NetSuite.
Natural stone may be what Delgado Stone produces, but after spending the summer here, it's clear that the company's greatest resource is its people. Every finished project represents far more than stone pulled from the earth. It reflects the collaboration, craftsmanship, and dedication of an entire team working together to bring that project to life.
That's what I'll remember most from my time at Delgado Stone—not just how natural stone is made, but how a great company is built.
About Delgado Stone's Internship Program: Delgado Stone is proud to feature a customized internship program that allows students to explore and engage with all aspects of natural stone manufacturing. With a range of experience opportunities including sales, finance, marketing, production, logistics, management, and human resources, students gain experience in leadership and practice working by the Core Values of Teamwork, Resilience, Integrity, Accountability, and Discipline.