A Summer of Purpose: How One Student Found Her Place at Walser

By Kyizom Paldy, 2025 NextGen Intern

This summer, I had a simple goal: I wanted to spend my summer doing something productive and meaningful. Through the City of Bloomington’s Bloom with Bloomington program, I discovered the opportunity to intern at Walser Automotive Group. Once I learned about the opportunity, everything began to fall into place. Though I never imagined that as a high school student I’d be spending my summer interning at a major automotive company like Walser, here I am and I couldn’t be more excited.

I’m Kyizom Paldy, Walser’s Events and Communications Intern for the summer. I’m a Tibetan-American who was born in India and raised in Minnesota. My culture and heritage are a big part of who I am, and I believe my experiences will help me throughout my internship. This fall, I’ll be starting my junior year at Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn. And to keep things real, I have three favorite things in life: my family, my bed, and a good bowl of ramen.

I’m one of 18 interns in Walser’s NextGen Internship Program, working across departments like IT, sales, marketing, HR, and the Business Development Center. It’s been amazing to see all the parts that come together to make Walser run.

The program is designed around real-world experience. We have mentors, meaningful projects, and even the chance for long-term job offers. With interns ranging from college seniors to high schoolers like me, the environment is dynamic and full of learning.

We kicked things off in May with a Family Kickoff Night, where our families met the Walser team and learned about the program. It was a great way to connect and get excited for the summer. My mom was even more excited than me!

As the Events and Communications Intern, I lead Voice of the Intern, a project where I highlight my fellow interns and share their stories. Through this outlet, I show what their roles entail and what drives them. I enjoy learning about their diverse backgrounds and the impact they’re making. The project not only gives interns a platform to voice their experiences but helps me build connections and practice storytelling.

One highlight was our first Accelerate Day, where we volunteered at Bridging MN in Roseville, an organization dedicated to helping people transition into stable housing. Together, we built 18 dressers! It was a meaningful way to bond, give back to the community, and see teamwork in action.

This internship is more than just a summer job for me; it’s an opportunity to grow, build my resume, meet new people, and get a real sense of what’s possible. I’m excited to share more of our journey in the weeks to come.