Raise The Bar Celebrates Future Workforce With Internship Luncheon

July 23, 2026

In recognition of National Intern Day (July 30th), Raise the Bar celebrates the college students, employers, and educational institutions working together to strengthen the region’s future workforce.

On July 23rd, Raise the Bar hosted its inaugural Summer Internship Luncheon, bringing together college interns for networking, reflection, and shared learning. The event connected nearly 60 students representing 18 colleges and universities nationwide. More than just a luncheon, interns had the opportunity to meet peers, reflect on lessons learned throughout the summer, and build professional connections that will continue long after their internships conclude. City of Findlay Mayor, Christina Muryn, also joined the event, sparking conversations and excitement among attendees.

“An internship should be the beginning of a relationship with a community,” said Tricia Valasek, Executive Director at Raise the Bar. “We brought our area interns together because we wanted them to realize they weren’t spending the summer here alone. Students from many employers and many universities shared this experience in Hancock County. The connections they made can continue when they return to campus, and we hope they leave knowing that Findlay offers an entire community of employers where they can continue learning, growing, and building their careers.”

The luncheon recognized the many employers that welcomed interns to their Hancock County-area locations this summer, including:

AR Marketing

Blanchard Valley Health System

CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)

Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce

First National Bank of Pandora

Flag City Sluggers

Freudenberg-NOK

Garner Trucking

Hancock County Adult Probation

Hancock Historical Museum

Hixon Zuercher Capital Management

Kreate

Legacy Farmers Cooperative

Marathon Petroleum Corporation

Mazza Museum

NAMI

Ohio Logistics

Oxley Law Office

RCR Technology

Reineke Family Dealerships

Resolute Wealth Advisor

The Rowmark Group

Valgroup

Whirlpool

Interns represented:

Bowling Green State University

Indiana Wesleyan University

Miami University

Michigan State University

North Central State College

Ohio Dominican University

Ohio Northern University

Purdue Northwest University

Purdue University

Texas A&M University

Tiffin University

The Ohio State University

University of Akron

University of Cincinnati

University of Findlay

University of Toledo

Wilmington College

Wright State University

As communities across the country celebrate National Intern Day, Raise the Bar hopes to encourage even more Hancock County employers to consider hosting interns in the future. Internship experiences not only benefit students but also strengthen local workforce by helping young professionals discover rewarding careers and communities where they can envision building their futures.

Raise the Bar connects employers, educators, and community partners to strengthen workforce development across every stage of the career journey. By supporting career awareness, exploration, engagement, and workplace learning opportunities, the organization helps prepare students and adults for successful careers while helping employers develop the talent they need.

For more information about internship initiatives or employer engagement opportunities visit www.raisethebarhancock.org/employers. Raise the Bar intends to host interns once per semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) to allow their connections to grow.