Lakeland Sustainability Watermelon 5K Series

The Lakeland Florida interns and employees from Sustainability Solutions (over 300 competitors) recently ran in a 5K to support the American Cancer Society.  Most of us weren’t runners per say, but we were there to have fun and compete, and that we definitely did.

Once the race started, I thought I could at least try to keep up with the one triathlete in our intern group, Michael Rees, but that notion quickly vanished as the race began (I literally fell behind him within the first 20 steps). At every mile marker we finished, there was a volunteer announcing our times as we passed by, and that made the race even more official. Finishing the race was an amazing feeling, but one of the best things was watching our Stryker community cheering our racers on. Whenever anyone approached the finish line, there was an abundance of encouragement and support. It was just a fun environment. We then finished the race, indulging ourselves with watermelon and water as the Florida heat just started to come on. It was an amazing first experience at a 5K.

In the end, this event was just another instance illustrating how Stryker is not simply a company driven to make healthcare better, but is also an active and sportive group of individuals, extending their goals beyond healthcare and into their community. I’ve had such an incredible experience here at Stryker from the challenging projects, to the smart and genuine people I’ve met, to the many fun off-site events. I came here to learn and explore as much as I could about every aspect of the industry, and Stryker has certainly given me every opportunity to do so. This internship was definitely the best thing I could have done with my summer.

Surya Manickam

Research & Development

Sustainability Solutions – Lakeland, FL

Brides Against Breast Cancer

Last Sunday, Stryker Spine Interns went to volunteer at a Brides Against Breast Cancer event.  The charity organization funds educational, nutrition, and support programs for cancer patients and their families.

At the bridal event, there were hundreds of donated bridal gowns and eager newly engaged women looking to support the amazing cause.  We were able to act as mock sales associates for the day to help women shopping for their dream wedding dresses pick out the perfect gown.

To make the day a little more interesting, we turned our job into a competition to see who could help the most women “Say Yes To the Dress” as sales associates at the famous Kleinfeld’s would say.  The losing Stryker Interns would need to buy the winning Stryker Intern coffee.

Taylor Hammeke ended up winning the game by selling two dresses.  I think Taylor has a future career in sales, or a job waiting at Kleinfeld’s, and Jessica Lawrie and I both owe her a coffee!

We had a great day giving back and aiding an organization that helps empower so many women.  It is great to see that two people who I didn’t know a few months ago quickly became people I now spend time outside of work with.

Stryker is a company that not only makes providing quality healthcare a priority, but also providing valuable programs outside of the office that allow employees to volunteer with impactful organizations and build relationships among coworkers.

Alicia Cahill

Marketing Communications

Spine – Allendale, NJ

Finding a New Home

The Lakeland, FL Habitat for Humanity allowed the Stryker Sustainability Solutions interns and mentors to come together and give a family their home back. When we arrived, we walked into a barren shell with walls and were asked to help paint the house as part of a larger renovating project for a local family. Splitting up into teams of a few, we tackled the interior walls and ceiling, as well as the exterior walls and accenting trim. Four hours (and a lot of painted clothing) later, we were able to step back and fully appreciate what we had just done. Sure, we collectively painted around 100 hours and completed our community service event for the summer, but “watching the paint dry” that afternoon was one of the most humbling experiences any of us have felt. We proudly walked away knowing that we changed the lives of a family.

Roshan Patel

Quality Assurance

Sustainability Solutions – Lakeland, FL

Flower Mound Interns Support Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Habitat for Humanity

In Flower Mound, TX, the Communications and Navigation interns have had multiple opportunities to work alongside each other and their co-workers to give back to the community. The intern volunteer committee – Ethan Brown, Caitlin Taylor, and Brendan Celii – planned and implemented two major volunteer initiatives this summer: raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through sponsorships and participating in a Habitat for Humanity build project.

At the beginning of the summer, the volunteer committee was given the opportunity to handle the fundraising efforts for the fourth annual Around the Mound 5K. This race, put on annually by Stryker Communications, raises awareness and support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – an organization that seeks to find a cure for cystic fibrosis and improve the quality of life for those with the disease. The volunteer committee organized a sponsorship competition in which interns partnered with their managers and advisors to raise money and awareness for the race. After a friendly group lunch, the teams split up. In a race to see which team could raise the most money, the interns visited countless local businesses and chains. At the end of the day, everyone had a good time bonding with their teams and networking with businesses in the area to come together for a great cause.

The second community outreach project was a build day with Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Every year since 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter spend a week working with Habitat For Humanity to build homes across the country. This year, their focus is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – and the interns at Flower Mound had the unique opportunity to be a part of the project! On the day of the build, the interns arrived at 7:00am to find nothing but a blank concrete slab at the worksite. Tasked with putting up all the walls by the end of the day, the interns rose to the challenge in spite of the blazing sun and the very early morning start. Charlie Walker learned how to yell “HILTI!” (for safety reasons) before firing the hilti nail gun, Tyler Haydell perfected his hammering technique and felt like a genuine engineer because of it, Caitlin Taylor took charge of recording measurements of wood to cap the frame, and all the interns showed their strength moving lumber from its pile across the street to its correct position in the frame of the house. After a hot day spent hammering, cutting, and transporting lumber, the interns left with all of the walls raised!

Becky Jegier

Human Resources

Communications – Flower Mound, TX

 

 

Ethan Brown

Materials/Supply Chain

Communications – Flower Mound, TX

Kalamazoo Interns Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity

Kalamazoo interns had the opportunity to work with the local organization Habitat for Humanity. When looking for an organization to partner with we searched for a place that could accommodate our large 60 person group as well as someplace we could impact the community. For many of us this was our first time volunteering for this type of association. Habit for Humanity is a national organization that builds houses for low income families. This opportunity taught us something that you cannot teach in school or at an internship; an experience, a uniquely human experience.

With our group being so large we were divided into two groups, at two locations.   Everyone met back together for lunch at a local park. The groups shared their experiences before lunch and were very excited to go back and complete the tasks that they had started.

To kick things off, half of the interns stayed at our original meeting location and got busy disassembling lumber that was previously a make shift courtroom used for a local high school play. For a lot of us, this type of work was worlds different from our responsibilities at the office. It gave us the opportunity to get up and get our hands dirty while giving back and most of all having some fun. There was a little bit of blood, A LOT of sweat and thankfully no tears shed throughout our exhausting day, but it was all in an effort to give back to those less fortunate. After our lunch break, this group moved to the Kalamazoo Habitat for Humanity warehouse where we unloaded the $3,000 of salvaged lumber that will be used later to build one of the Habitat homes. While some interns unloaded and organized wood, others were tasked with projects like reinforcing stairs and organizing the warehouse. In addition to the tasks, we had the opportunity to chat with our site leader from Habitat, Justin. Justin was amazingly insightful of the operations and impact that Habitat for Humanity has on our community and the homeowners. He was able to share some of his experiences while working for this outstanding organization that help paint the picture of how our “sweat equity” was benefitting real people. Overall, by the end of the day, there was not one intern that could say they didn’t feel like they made a difference. Our sore muscles and blistered hands certainly made sure of that the following day.

The second group went a local house to help with the build. The main project they wanted us to accomplish was to fill the basement with rocks. This house had problems with flooding in the past and by filling the basement with 4’ of rocks, putting a radon system in, and putting flooring on top of the rocks it would ensure that the house would be safe and dry. We had a group of people outside shoveling rocks into the basement through the egress windows and a group in the basement moving the rocks so an equal amount was distributed. Talk about a good workout! Another group of interns worked on an expansion that they were building off of the kitchen to accommodate the size of the family.   They worked on framing and insulating, using lots of power tools (supervised of course).   The most memorable moment for us was after lunch.   The home owner came to work with us and on her house. Habitat requires that each family put in volunteer hours (400+) either working on their own houses or other projects. We were able to work side by side with her and hear her story. She has 4 beautiful children and extremely thankful for this opportunity she has been provided. Her family lives in the same neighborhood and the kids won’t have to change school districts (which we all know can be terrifying as a child). The house is expected to be done and ready to move in sometime in December and she is thinking of it as her very best Christmas Present ever.  

As we all know the Stryker intern experience is packed full of opportunity and this was definitely one of the most rewarding opportunities we have been provided with this summer. We collectively put in 480 hours of sweat equity in one day! Those hours were used to serve an amazing cause, helping an organization fulfill dreams for those less fortunate. At the end of the day, we may have had low energy, be certainly high spirits!

Whitney Shane-Feldman & Megan Loney

Process and Technology & Human Resources

Instruments & Corporate – Kalamazoo, MI

Interns Give Back

Stryker supports numerous organizations around the globe to increase access to healthcare and make healthcare better.  We also donate financial and product support for the education of healthcare professionals, charitable and civic activity and humanitarian aid.

Stryker interns are as passionate about their communities as they are about their work. Their desire to make a difference manifests itself every day, from small interactions with colleagues to grand gestures with strangers in neighborhoods half a world away.  Each intern cohort class plans and participates in at least one volunteer event throughout the duration of their internship.  Below are examples of some of the impactful ways Stryker interns have given back to their communities.

Orthopaedics Interns Collect Letters to Soldiers

On Tuesday, July 8 at Stryker Orthopaedics in Mahwah, this year’s summer intern Community Service Committee organized a letter-writing campaign to engage employees and interns alike in supporting members of the armed forces via the charity Operation Gratitude.

Our internship program encourages community engagement, and this event aligned very well with Stryker Mahwah’s commitment to supporting the US military. In addition to the Operation Gratitude event, Stryker locally hosts an annual September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance Care Package Drive in partnership with the Mahwah Marine Moms & North Jersey Military Moms.

Interns and staff from Mahwah, including Orthopaedics Group President David Floyd, and VP of Human Resources John Ferrell, were successful in completing nearly 200 decorated cards with motivational messages that are sure to brighten the faces of the dedicated men and women who keep our nation safe. Thank you to everyone at Ortho who took the time to write a letter to a soldier!

Elizabeth Stack

Corporate Communications

Orthopaedics – Mahwah, NJ