By Suzy Alstrin
An honor student, Andrew Paolozzi’s (RU-2025), furthered a century-long relationship by becoming the first from Reinhardt to intern at Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters. Ties between the University and Coca-Cola began in 1923 when Coca-Cola president Samuel Candler Dobbs joined the University’s board of trustees. Paolozzi’s summer experience became the learning experience of a lifetime when he seized the opportunity to take on new challenges at the renowned corporation.
Paolozzi’s inspiration was sparked by Reinhardt business professor and a former Coca-Cola executive, Russ Fletcher. With Fletcher’s help, he learned how to network, highlight his abilities, and successfully compete in the selection process. Paolozzi secured the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Project Management Office (PMO) internship.
“Every day, it was just so much fun, because I got to learn about something that was so brand new and cutting edge,” Paolozzi explained. “I was able to learn from professionals with a wealth of knowledge.” He contributed to a team that navigates the benefits, issues, and workflow of AI integration in the workplace and increased efficiency in the company’s AI initiatives and processes.
Paolozzi credits succeeding in this project management role to his classes at Reinhardt and learning time management. He balanced all his activities including athletics, launching and running the business club, and acing his studies. Campus experiences meeting with faculty and staff added to his comfort meeting with Coca-Cola employees. Paolozzi explained, “It is beneficial to be a well-rounded person because you’re able to talk to so many different people in different areas. Because I was able to do that at Reinhardt, it was more comfortable to do that at Coca-Cola.”
The internship pulled Paolozzi out of his comfort zone, but he used it as a tool for additional growth, “At Coca-Cola, you get uncomfortable, you get challenged, and that was the best part about it. Every day I answered a new challenge and pushed myself forward. It made me more confident, and I’ve been able to succeed tenfold.” His manager, Senior Director of Platform Services Operations and Process Medha Shah exclaimed, “He is a diligent individual and has a structured approach to problem solving. Andrew is a resourceful individual and showed excellent leadership qualities.”
Before the experience concluded, Paolozzi met former Reinhardt trustee Heather Trotter and current trustee Glenn Rivers, both current Coca-Cola executives. Trotter serves as Senior Vice President & General Manager of the East Region. Rivers, the Senior Director of Customer Leadership at the Coca-Cola Company said, “Andrew made remarkable contributions. His performance this summer unequivocally displayed his extraordinary potential to excel in any professional environment he chooses. Andrew represented himself and Reinhardt University with the highest levels of professionalism and dedication.”
Fletcher is thrilled to hear of Paolozzi’s success saying, “A commitment to personal growth can lead to opportunities like this which pay future dividends. Andrew is one of those students who goes above and beyond to put in time and effort, and that’s the kind of thing that makes these opportunities happen.”
Paolozzi plans to pursue a career in AI marketing and hopes to work for a Fortune 500 company like Coca-Cola. He credits the internship with helping him find his path, “Doing an internship is much more than just experience. It helps give direction to where you want to go in life and it helps you build skills that you won’t find anywhere else, that you can only do whenever you challenge yourself.”
