My internship at the Carowinds Amusement Park this summer has been a fantastic learning experience! I gained knowledge from highly talented and enthusiastic people who make Carowinds such a fun place for families and friends. The experience will forever change the way I view education (and amusement parks). As I approach the new 2018-19 school year as a second grade teacher, I have a new perspective on what a classroom filled with 20+ students should look and sound like – similar to an amusement park actually… plenty of action and lots of collaboration!
There were many interesting moments throughout my summer experience! First, I had never been on a roller coaster in my life! This changed when I spent the afternoon with Shawn Hopkins, the manager of mechanical maintenance. Did you know his team spends a combined 64 total hours every morning before the park opens to test and inspect the rides to ensure safety for the customers? After hearing this, I felt better about attempting my first roller coaster ride!
While visiting with Shawn, I was able to observe one of many collaborative efforts between the departments at Carowinds. Shawn met with Scott Gerbereux, the Digital Marketing Manager in charge of driving brand engagement and sales across various digital platforms for Carowinds. Scott, along with two extremely knowledgeable interns in his department, met with Shawn to discuss the best place to attach a small camera on the car of the Fury 325 to get photos for a marketing project Oh! By the way, the Fury 325 is the 5th tallest roller coaster in the world and reaches a speed of up to 95 mph!
It was suggested we ride the Fury 325, and with a little encouragement I agreed to do so…in the front car of the roller coaster’s train no less! Although my eyes were closed as soon as we reached the top peak of the first 325 feet climb, it was an unbelievable experience! The force of gravity, combined with acceleration, was so strong against my head and body I felt as though I couldn’t move! It was something I never would have done in my lifetime if I had not been a teacher-intern this summer.
Besides my roller coaster adventure, a second interesting morning was spent with Executive Chef, Kris Siuta. I envisioned amusement park food to consist mostly of hotdogs, french fries, and snow cones. Oh… how my view has changed! The delicious smells coming from the kitchen at 10:00 a.m. produced cravings of pork barbecue. Chef Siuta makes his own barbecue sauce served at several food sites at the park. It’s his own recipe (only available at Carowinds by the way). The culinary team smokes and cooks their own meats, makes lasagna and mac & cheese in-house, bakes their own pizza dough, and much more! I had no idea so much cooking went on at an amusement park! Not only does Chef Siuta train and manage the folks on the culinary team, but he also oversees 25+ on-site food and beverage establishments, a picnic pavilion that can hold thousands of guests, he’s responsible for 500 employees, and takes photographs of his own food items for signs and marketing. He broadened the menu options from 15 items to 40 one-of-a-kind menu options since he began in 2014. No wonder season meal pass sales have dramatically increased over the last 4 years!
I was amazed at all the “different hats” Chef Siuta wears and asked him how he does it all. He explained he spends quality time training and communicating with his staff. He prepares his staff to handle not only the daily job requirements, but also unforeseen situations that can arise on a regular basis. He talked about how good training and communication leads to trusting the judgment of your staff when you can only be at one place at one time.
Now that my internship is coming to an end, I feel the biggest challenge is ahead of me! It will be taking all of the career and job skills information I’ve learned from being at Carowinds and translating it back into a classroom/school environment. Linking this new knowledge to teaching standards and expected student outcomes will take time. Helping students also learn and see what I’ve seen through photos, hands-on lessons, and relatable activities seems like an immense task at this current point. At the same time, I am excited to begin my venture on this new path when school begins in the fall.
The experience at Carowinds helped me realize all of the exciting jobs that await our young learners. These jobs are fun, creative, inspiring, and rewarding! We as educators need to expose students to these opportunities, as well as teach the skills they need early on to be successful.
Two major takeaways:
First, the people in leadership and management positions at Carowinds are continually learning and improving the skills they need to do their jobs. I spoke to several people who said they learned a great deal from a mentor or peer colleague on-site. They all have determination, a passion to learn and improve, and a collaborative mindset. The “teacher-learner” relationship extends beyond school and is extremely important to be successful in the real-world.
Second, teamwork and effective communication skills are important in any career at Carowinds. It doesn’t matter if you work in the technology, finance, or entertainment department – you need to be able to explain information clearly so it is understood and can be used correctly by others. Several employees at Carowinds said they need to use both verbal and written skills to work successfully with other departments for the park to operate at its fullest potential. They said it’s not just about a single job or their specific work, it’s about the success of the service or product they are providing to the end user. We need to be sure we are providing opportunities for all students to teach and learn from each other, and to share their strengths to engage in collaborative working situations for the best outcomes.