Ryan Gains Valuable Career Skills through Internship
Meet Ryan Solganik.
In 2023, he completed an internship at MedWish Medworks (known at the time as MedWish International) during his high school sophomore year at Hawkin. Working directly with the International Aid Program Coordinator, Jacob Dzierwa, Ryan gained hands-on experience that now—two years later, as a college sophomore—helps him stand out while networking at career fairs.
Ryan shared: “The first time I had that conversation with a representative, I realized that my International Programs Internship was really a type of Industrial Engineering internship in disguise, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.”
The range of experience Ryan gained at MedWish Medworks continues to be valuable as a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he is majoring in Industrial Engineering. Throughout his internship, he came to understand how applicable his newly learned skills would be to his future career.
The International Aid Program is run solely by its coordinator, Jacob, who oversees, packs, and organizes every international supply and equipment order MedWish Medworks receives. By shadowing him, Ryan learned how a warehouse operates from the ground up. He observed the process of receiving medical supply donations at the front door. He learned how to safely stack and secure pallets, manage inventory, create labels and spreadsheets, communicate with recipients around the world, and help organize international shipments and containers.
In short, he gained both operational and administrative skills—an uncommon combination for a high school student.
There was one more part of Ryan’s experience that had a lasting impact on his path. He and his family volunteered on a MedWish Medworks medical brigade in the Dominican Republic. Ryan spent time entertaining children as their parents sought treatment, forming bonds with them as they taught him Spanish. He spent nearly three hours sitting with an eight-year-old girl who was sick and needed companionship.
Through this experience, Ryan saw firsthand how organizations like MedWish Medworks make a profound difference in the lives of communities around the world.
