Meet Madison Lynch, a B.S. Psychology major with a minor in Leadership of Organizations. This summer, Madison is using her psychology education at Mizkan American as a Human Resources Intern.
Continue reading to see why she wanted to intern there, what advice she has for others looking for an internship, and what surprising club she is in!
Where are you using your psychology education this summer?
This summer, I am using my psychology education at Mizkan America as a Human Resources Intern. In this role, I am using my psychology education to assess candidates during pre-screening interviews, as my education has taught me how to better understand human behavior and motivation. I am also using my understanding of human behavior, motivation, and communication to support employee engagement initiatives by developing an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) for the company. Finally, my background in psychology also allows me to better analyze patterns in employee satisfaction and engagement and approach conversations with empathy and understanding.
Why did you want to intern at Mizkan?
I wanted to intern here at Mizkan for a couple reasons, the first being that I desired gaining experience in Human Resources this summer. I recently realized that I wanted to pursue a career in HR, and my goal was to start getting experience and learning that career as soon as possible. This internship position was a beginner role in Human Resources, which I considered to be perfect since I had no previous experience.
Upon researching the company, it was obvious that Mizkan had a great amount of respect for the environment and working towards sustaining it, and they placed a great emphasis on making customers their number one priority. I respected that as well as the fact that Mizkan encourages its employees to constantly challenge themselves in order to better their career, their personal life, and the company itself. After working at Mizkan for about a month, I can attest to this and to the fact that Mizkan truly cares for its employees. Working at Mizkan has truly been a great first internship experience.
Do you have advice for others looking for an internship?
For a while there, I had a really tough time landing an internship. I applied to over 20 internships for the summer of 2026, and I received some no replies, but mainly I just got ghosted. My biggest piece of advice is not to give up when searching, even though I know that the rejections or lack of responses make you feel discouraged. The right company will come along, but you just absolutely have to keep applying to find it.
What else are you involved in at MSU?
Being a Social Science Scholar in a close-knit cohort of only 12 other individuals has been a very rewarding experience, as I have felt supported, challenged, and inspired all at the same time. In a program that encourages reflecting on ourselves and our society, I have learned to question "the way things are" and to step out of my comfort zone."
I am also involved in the Psychology Club at MSU, and I recently joined MSU's SHRM chapter this past semester (I am looking forward to attending those events this upcoming semester and learning more about HR through this organization). My biggest involvement at MSU, however, is the MSU Underwater Hockey Club (yes, it's real). I joined my freshman year, and in my sophomore year, I became the club's Social Media Chair on the Executive Board. I will be in this role again this upcoming year.
Give a shoutout to someone who has helped you on your MSU journey.
The person who has helped me the most along my journey is Andrew Murray, one of the Psych advisors here at MSU. He has been so helpful, so responsive, and has aided me in planning my time and classes at MSU. Andrew has the best ideas and has helped me connect with people in my career, basically got me on LinkedIn, and more.
Thank you Andrew, you have been so supportive!
What are your future plans - either for your remaining time at MSU or after graduation!
I plan to graduate in December of 2027 rather than May of 2028, so a semester early. However, I do plan on staying on campus for the other semester, as I will still have my apartment lease and can spend time with my friends before we all graduate. As for my career, I would like to get a job in Human Resources right out of college, hopefully in Chicago, and I will maybe go back to school later on down the road to pursue a master's degree.