I describe my internship with QLogic Corporation, what I learned from the experience, and how I plan to utilize the knowledge ascertained during my four month time period.

1. 2015 My Summer Internship
By Gianna Spangler

2. Profile
My name is Gianna. I attend school at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I am
studying marketing and philosophy.
Most of my spare time is spent writing. I just finished writing a novel and I am currently trying to get a
website up and running to use as an avenue for articles integrating social topics with my own ideas – and
some comic relief. I want to learn about the world and share my findings in a way that allows for all sides of
an argument to be addressed.
If you want to check it out: fractalizedreality.com
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“This I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the
individual human is the most valuable thing in the
world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of
the mind to take any direction it wishes,
undirected.” -- John Steinbeck
“Nothing in this
world that’s
worth having
comes easy.”
-- BobKelso
“Enjoy every sandwich.”
-- WarrenZevon

3. Goals & Expectations
What were your goals this summer?
My aim was to learn the inner workings of a business, but even more so, I wanted to
be able to understand the logic and practical mindset required in order to make
decisions that have the ability to effect the company as a whole.
What attracted you to Qlogic?
I heard the guy in charge of the HP account is super awesome.
In all seriousness, I really admired how such a small company in Aliso Viejo is able to
engineer and sell a product line that affects computer networking globally.
What were your expectations?
I’ve been a consumer since the day I was born. I wanted to see the intricacies of
being part of the supply chain, of being the producer. I never realized how many tiny
little things need to work together in order to create a product – and I never realized
how many emails can be sent/received in an 8 hour period.
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4. Experience
I worked in Operations under the Head of Global Supply Chain, Ken Mikels
People I got to work with at one point or another: Darie Achstein-Conway, Bonnie Markel,
Aret Aramian, Nancy Gorak, Gayle Roux, Laleh Mahdavi
What did you do?
I used Oracle Superuser to enter PO’s (placed orders), QDC’s (samples), and RMA’s (returns). I ran requests
and combed backlogs for holds on orders or orders missing ECCN numbers. I did the weekly HP sales
spreadsheet as well as the IBM RMA status update. I learned how to draw conclusions from a given set of
data. I changed the dates in Oracle one PO at a time to request the new fictitious date of 12/31/23. I drank
all of the coffee in the break room but I always made more.
What did you enjoy most?
The people are incredible. Nancy is patient and kind and has one of the most soothing voices I’ve ever
heard, and her way of explaining things is always concise and helpful. Ken has taught me more about Asia
than two years of Global Econ, and still had time to talk about music and politics. Bonnie loves to read like
me and we both agree romance novels are a waste of ink. Darie honest-to-God brightens the day of every
person in this office. Her attitude, her laugh, her hats – always makes me smile. She once told me a story
about how everyone is deserving of respect and kindness, and I will carry that with me the rest of my life.
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5. Reflection
Describe some final thoughts on your experience
“time flies by when you’re doing data entry”
How you will integrate this experience into your future goals
I wish I could say I had my life mapped out down to a T, but as it is, I’m still trying to discover
which direction I see myself going. In the meantime, I just want to learn all I can about the way
things work. Knowing computer systems/programs and how to maintain customer relations, as
well as globalization and economics, will all help shape my perspective and give me tools to build
the life I see myself leading.
What is one thing you will take from your experience at qlogic?
One important takeaway from this experience is learning to not be afraid to ask for help
understanding something. I used to view asking for help as a sign of weakness or admittance to
being anything less than awesome, but now I’ve learned it means you care enough to do
something the right way. Humans are naturally inclined to help people, and I especially thank all
the wonderful humans here who let me flood their inbox with questions so that I could provide
the best possible work.
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6. 20156 QLogic Confidential