By Lesley Ornelas
Texas State  News Intern

Many have heard of the Chuck Nash Auto Group here in San Marcos and perhaps maybe a few have actually bought a vehicle or two from this establishment. For those who have not heard of this business they may have unknowingly passed by it on their way to Whataburger for a late night snack. To most of San Marcos it is just another car dealership but to Senior Christen Cherry the experience at the Chuck Nash Auto Group convinced her to change her major.
Christen Cherry, a senior at Texas State University-San Marcos, was majoring in Marketing when she was required to complete an internship. While interviewing with Chuck Nash for the internship at his business there was one thing that set his establishment apart from other businesses Christen had interviewed with.
“The main thing that set them apart was the fact that, the general manager, Mr. Drake, interviewed me himself for the position and Mr. Nash actually sat down with me before accepting the position to make sure that I knew what he was looking for in the position and to make me feel welcome.  This gave the expectation that Mr. Nash cared about his employees, and during the internship he confirmed my expectations.”
Christen’s internship at the Chuck Nash Auto Group enabled her to work in many different departments at the dealership including the sales department, public relations, the body shop, and the service department. But despite working with the various departments her main focus was mainly customer relations and marketing.
“I mainly worked under the Public Relations manager, Crystal Shimek, who opened my eyes to a fun side of business through working on various promotions, ads, and sponsorships that Mr. Nash was involved with. As an intern I learned how important customer relations are within a business, and how much a small business values every single one of their customers.”
The management courses Christen was required to take as a marketing student helped her throughout her internship and eventually inspired the change to a management major. Christen completed her internship at the Chuck Nash Auto Group in August then the dealership offered her a part time position to continue working with the company.
“I definitely recommend internships for all students, and if the opportunity to work with a local company arises, take it!”
For more information about internships through Texas State University contact Career Services at (512)-245-2645.