By Abby Vincler, GM intern
By Abby Vincler, GM intern
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The room was full of inspiration and energy as General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra held an Intern Day conversation with this summer’s class of interns at GM. Interns asked questions surrounding technology, community outreach, and company innovation in a personal, face-to-face conversation with the one and only Mary Barra. As an intern on the Global Markets Communications team, I had the pleasure of moderating this fireside chat for my fellow interns and conversing with the leader of GM.
Intern Day is a chance for interns at General Motors to be recognized, celebrated, and to peek into their potential future careers at GM. The day is full of keynote speakers, engaging activities, and networking opportunities. This summer, GM hosted 562 interns, representing 140 universities in 33 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico, Alberta, and Ontario.
Mary’s keynote delivered messages that I and many other interns will carry with us for the rest of our careers. A key takeaway for me was Mary’s advice from her friend, former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, “comfort and growth do not coexist.” Mary’s message of showing accountability and constant curiosity are words to live by. As we begin our growing careers, it was a powerful message to truly own the outcome of our work to build character and credibility. Meeting Mary Barra while interning at General Motors was impactful for many interns across a range of GM functions. Katie Collins, a rising senior at the University of Michigan and Finance Operations Intern at Factory Zero, reflected on how she was trusted to work on a project that produces real results that benefit the company, and how she was able to learn from executives about the industry and pave the way for her career. Arnav Sawant, a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Global Product Development Intern, said his intern experience fulfilled his lifelong passion for cars, and said GM’s reputation, innovation, and people-centric culture have inspired him to learn and grow within the company. For Arnav, Mary Barra’s involvement in Intern Day shows how GM’s leadership values the next generation of employees, and how the company works to make interns feel connected to the company’s mission.
Caption: GM intern Kendall McCardell, left, joins Mary Barra and Abby Vincler onstage for a selfie with the 2026 interns.
Aya Opayeh, a recent graduate of Wanye State University and Admin Student Corps Program Specialist Intern, said her role has allowed her to apply her degree in Social Work to mobilize the support and professional development of high school students. Aya said that she felt inspired by Mary, whose career began as a co-op student at General Motors Institute (Kettering University). Mary’s rise from student to Chair and CEO reminds Aya that hard work, strong leadership, and a willingness to keep learning can help pave the way to success. Paul Khamo, a rising Junior at the University of Michigan and Service Release Engineering Intern, noted that his internship is helping him grow the technical knowledge, perspective, and hands-on experience he needs for a long-term career in the automotive industry. Paul said that hearing Mary speak was, in one word, inspirational. For Paul, understanding Mary’s career path is motivating, because it shows the impact of perseverance, leadership, and a clear career vision.
As a returning intern myself, my enjoyment and passion for working at GM has only grown throughout these past two summers. I have experienced so many moments of career growth and have gained knowledge that could only have been learned through the opportunities that GM has to offer. As I enter my senior year at the University of Michigan, I am filled with optimism about my future and excitement for the road ahead!
The room was full of inspiration and energy as General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra held an Intern Day conversation with this summer’s class of interns at GM. Interns asked questions surrounding technology, community outreach, and company innovation in a personal, face-to-face conversation with the one and only Mary Barra. As an intern on the Global Markets Communications team, I had the pleasure of moderating this fireside chat for my fellow interns and conversing with the leader of GM.
Intern Day is a chance for interns at General Motors to be recognized, celebrated, and to peek into their potential future careers at GM. The day is full of keynote speakers, engaging activities, and networking opportunities. This summer, GM hosted 562 interns, representing 140 universities in 33 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico, Alberta, and Ontario.
Mary’s keynote delivered messages that I and many other interns will carry with us for the rest of our careers. A key takeaway for me was Mary’s advice from her friend, former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, “comfort and growth do not coexist.” Mary’s message of showing accountability and constant curiosity are words to live by. As we begin our growing careers, it was a powerful message to truly own the outcome of our work to build character and credibility. Meeting Mary Barra while interning at General Motors was impactful for many interns across a range of GM functions. Katie Collins, a rising senior at the University of Michigan and Finance Operations Intern at Factory Zero, reflected on how she was trusted to work on a project that produces real results that benefit the company, and how she was able to learn from executives about the industry and pave the way for her career. Arnav Sawant, a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Global Product Development Intern, said his intern experience fulfilled his lifelong passion for cars, and said GM’s reputation, innovation, and people-centric culture have inspired him to learn and grow within the company. For Arnav, Mary Barra’s involvement in Intern Day shows how GM’s leadership values the next generation of employees, and how the company works to make interns feel connected to the company’s mission.
Aya Opayeh, a recent graduate of Wanye State University and Admin Student Corps Program Specialist Intern, said her role has allowed her to apply her degree in Social Work to mobilize the support and professional development of high school students. Aya said that she felt inspired by Mary, whose career began as a co-op student at General Motors Institute (Kettering University). Mary’s rise from student to Chair and CEO reminds Aya that hard work, strong leadership, and a willingness to keep learning can help pave the way to success. Paul Khamo, a rising Junior at the University of Michigan and Service Release Engineering Intern, noted that his internship is helping him grow the technical knowledge, perspective, and hands-on experience he needs for a long-term career in the automotive industry. Paul said that hearing Mary speak was, in one word, inspirational. For Paul, understanding Mary’s career path is motivating, because it shows the impact of perseverance, leadership, and a clear career vision.
As a returning intern myself, my enjoyment and passion for working at GM has only grown throughout these past two summers. I have experienced so many moments of career growth and have gained knowledge that could only have been learned through the opportunities that GM has to offer. As I enter my senior year at the University of Michigan, I am filled with optimism about my future and excitement for the road ahead!