During this past summer, I had the privilege of working as a Merchandise Intern at Dollywood, an experience that significantly contributed to both my personal and professional growth. Relocating to a new city and state required adaptability, especially because I lived inside the park, which offered me a unique opportunity to fully immerse myself into the Dollywood culture and operations.
At Dollywood’s Emporium, I took on leadership responsibilities, overseeing replenishment and shipment. Beyond my daily role, I worked on my internship project, which focused on improving communication regarding new merchandise. I had the opportunity to shadow with the buying team at Herschend Family Entertainment, where I identified gaps in product communication between the buyers, the distribution center and the parks. As a solution, I developed a live product document that provided a visual image of the product, along with its purchase order number and estimated arrival dates at the distribution center and the park.
My project was selected by the merchandise team for the Southern Hospitality Internship Showcase, where I had the honor of presenting it to the park’s president board. I am incredibly grateful for this experience, the industry knowledge I gained, and the lifelong connections that I have made through my time at Dollywood.
At Dollywood’s Emporium, I took on leadership responsibilities, overseeing replenishment and shipment. Beyond my daily role, I worked on my internship project, which focused on improving communication regarding new merchandise. I had the opportunity to shadow with the buying team at Herschend Family Entertainment, where I identified gaps in product communication between the buyers, the distribution center and the parks. As a solution, I developed a live product document that provided a visual image of the product, along with its purchase order number and estimated arrival dates at the distribution center and the park.
My project was selected by the merchandise team for the Southern Hospitality Internship Showcase, where I had the honor of presenting it to the park’s president board. I am incredibly grateful for this experience, the industry knowledge I gained, and the lifelong connections that I have made through my time at Dollywood.
