Marketing Intern, Ally Melby at Ageless Aviation.

Waupaca Foundry has been a part of Ally Melby’s family since before she was born. Her grandfather Ron Minton started his career here and then retired. She has a brother and cousins who work here too. Growing up, Ally didn’t think she would be part of her family’s Waupaca Foundry legacy, but obviously, she was proven wrong.

Ally is completing her senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying journalism with an emphasis in reporting and strategic communication. Her marketing internship with Waupaca Foundry – which has now evolved into a brand journalist role – started the summer before her junior year of college in 2018. The internship was then extended for an additional summer in 2019 after having worked during the school year and winter break.
 

During Ally’s time at Waupaca Foundry, she has worked on a lot of communication efforts produced internally. When she first started, a main duty was writing content for the print newsletter. Now, she focuses on the company blog and writing about Waupaca Foundry’s team members, environmental efforts, castings and community involvement. Additionally, Ally works on submissions for various awards and has had her hands in our sustainability reports.

We gathered Ally’s thoughts about working for Waupaca Foundry. She states, “What I like about this organization is that Waupaca has locations all across the United States. Being a writer in marketing, that provides a lot of great material, and I always have something to do. I get to talk to a lot of people from our facilities, which I like because I’m hearing new stories all the time, personal and metal casting-related.”

Ally interviewing Sam McClure, process engineer at Waupaca Foundry Plant 6.

As any internship is valuable to give a student experience before entering the work world, the marketing internship Ally has had through Waupaca was one of her most valuable internships. Ally expresses, “Instead of being just an intern, I am given my own projects that are published or implemented. I know it’s silly to say but there aren’t many internships that will give an intern their own desk, computer or even nameplate – let alone their own projects that they are independently in charge of. I think one of the coolest things is when a family member asks if I saw something that the foundry posted, either in our app or on our social channels, I can say, ‘Yes, I wrote that.’”

As an intern with Waupaca Foundry, we make you feel part of the team. Ally put into words what she thought of the Waupaca team, “Everyone is accessible; heck how many interns can say they have interacted or wrote about their company’s CEO. I’m not a coffee gopher or a paper pusher. I’m not an afterthought. I have a seat at the table, and my ideas and opinions matter.”

During the last two years as a brand journalist intern, one of Ally’s favorite memories include having interviews for stories at 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. because that was when the people she was interviewing were finishing their shifts.

Lastly, Ally gave us her final words as she ends her time as a brand journalist intern with Waupaca Foundry. She answered, “What I do has value, and I think it’s cool that when I graduate, they will have to find someone to fill the space I leave behind. I’m not positive what will come after graduation in May, but I do know that thanks to Waupaca Foundry, whatever communications avenue I pursue, I have a strong portfolio and my resume reflects that.”

Congratulations Ally on your graduation and good luck in the future!

Waupaca Foundry marketing team: Social Media Specialist Austin Dean, Marketing and Communication Manager Sara Timm, and Marketing Intern Ally Melby