University Park, Pa. – Innovation and technological applications Sureaya Inusah’s academic passion has doubled in economics and art history at Penn State, thanks to the financial support she received at the college through the Virginia Todd Chappell Executive International Program. A liberal arts major, she was able to explore the field this summer as a solutions consulting intern with Adobe in New York City.
The Chapel Executive Internship Program supports practical experience for liberal arts students who have achieved academic success and are seeking high-level career development opportunities in the private sector. The program was established by Virginia “Ginny” Todd Chappell and her husband, John, whose leadership gifts are now valued at $2.5 million. Virginia Todd Chappell graduated from Penn State in 1965 with a degree in English.
This year, the program awarded $5,000 to 22 high-performing students.
Inousah finds energy in people-centered businesses, especially those that serve their customers in creative ways. During her freshman year at Penn State, she knew she wanted to pursue a professional career integrating data-driven technology with conceptual design.
“I started majoring in economics with a focus on going into business and doubling down on understanding how businesses can solve problems and use user data,” Inousah said. “Then I added art history to tap into my creative side.”
Joining the two allowed Inousah to “learn a qualitative understanding of my scientific math, along with an appreciation for different cultures and applications of products.
Inusa interning for Adobe allowed her to put her major into practice.
“It was really cool because I went into business — focusing on sales and market research — to understand and create different, personalized solutions to business problems,” she said.
As a solutions consulting intern, Inousah provided designs for Adobe, often focused on customer interaction and user experience. Often, this involves using the various Adobe software that the company hosts, an experience that Insuh believes has helped her strengthen her marketing skills, especially with product descriptions.
“Every day, I create beautiful artboards that a company can use themselves for their customers,” says Inousah. “I work with Adobe XD on this [an Adobe Creative Cloud product], and it is a very amazing and beautiful product. It will definitely help me in school. ”
Inousah’s most memorable experience at Adobe was when she went to the company’s summer internship meeting in San Jose, California. At the conference, she was able to learn about creating people-first businesses and how people at Adobe “grow into and into their space” because of the company’s culture built on building and supporting. This summit experience combined with internship experience confirmed Ensuh’s desire to continue in technology and consulting.
“I now have extensive knowledge of Adobe XD and many other Adobe products that I use on a daily basis. But other than that, I’ve learned that I love coming back full circle to working on an idea, applying it to that idea, and having people interact with it,” Inousah said. “It’s the ability to be intentional about not just the content that I deliver, but how it’s delivered to people and what’s the most effective way for people to interpret it.”
After graduation, Inousah will begin a full-time consulting career with McKinsey & Company, and plans to take this insight into how clients interact with businesses.
“Using small, minute data to personalize what a customer experiences will be incredibly valuable,” she says.
Inusa is grateful to both the College of Liberal Arts and Chappell’s Executive Internship Program for her internship at Adobe this summer.
“A liberal arts college has always ensured that I stay on track to graduate, and Chapel’s financial support has allowed me to pay for summer housing and transportation in New York City, which is very expensive,” Inousah said.
She credits Penn State’s alumni network with helping her land the internship.
“When I was looking for an internship, I had the opportunity to talk to Penn State students who were working at Adobe. They were able to connect me with people at Adobe in the field I was looking for,” Inousah said. “They were very eager to help me and put me in touch with the right people, who allowed me to know what I was getting into and be successful in landing this internship.”
Outside of business, consulting, and creative design, Inousah is involved in ServeState, Penn State’s community service organization, where Penn State students volunteer for various service events in partnership with local organizations. Inousa served as president of the organization in its third year and remains an active member today.
This is the sixth in a series of stories about liberal arts students participating in Chapel Executive International this summer. Students who are interested in applying for the Spring Chapel Executive International must Apply by the deadline of December 1 Through Liberal Arts Career Development Network.
