The interns with a new Scion

Margaret Duszkiewicz, (pictured, left) a May graduate of Kent State University's College of Business, has obtained a job at Toyota's United States headquarters in California, and she has her year-long internship to thank.

As Duszkiewicz has pursued a degree in managerial marketing, she has been able to apply her skills while interning at the Don Joseph Toyota-Scion dealership in Kent. She has interned at the dealership since April 2010.

Duszkiewicz is ecstatic about the new opportunity before her.

"I am absolutely thrilled, honored and humbled," she says.

Duszkiewicz's new job title is management trainee. She will go through a training program during which she will further refine her skills in marketing-related functions with the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. This will pave the road for her future career as regional brand manager for the automotive giant.

The path that led to this job has been full of hard work for Duszkiewicz. In conjunction with the University's College of Business Administration, the Toyota-Scion dealership holds an annual competition to choose the "Scion Champion" for the following year. Only marketing or advertising majors with junior standing are eligible. Contestants write a concept proposal and present their ideas to a panel of university and Toyota-Scion representatives. Last year, Duszkiewicz was the winner of that competition.

Her duties as an intern include planning and implementing events and advertising activities, managing various social media networks, and actualizing and endorsing corporate initiatives and regulations. She has worked closely with regional Scion managers. Jeff Joseph, owner of Don Joseph Toyota-Scion, recognized Duszkiewicz's hard work and dedication and sent her resume to Toyota's College Relations Recruiter. As a result, Duszkiewicz became one of only 22 new graduates across the nation to be hired this summer.

For 2011, the "Scion Champion" has been named. Christine Maynard is a double major in accounting and marketing. She welcomes the opportunity and looks forward to her internship. She feels that Duszkiewicz did a wonderful job while at Don Joseph and hopes to follow the trail of success that Duszkiewicz has blazed.

"Margaret has certainly raised the bar and will be a tough act to follow," Maynard says.

Duszkiewicz is now training Maynard at Don Joseph Toyota-Scion, and will be leaving for California after she graduates.

For more information on the College of Business Administration at Kent State University, visit http://www.kent.edu/business/.