As part of the University of South Dakota’s commitment to career readiness, alumni Megan Moore, Lauren Miller and Hollyn Carlton have transformed classroom experiences, internships and mentorship into meaningful careers and leadership opportunities at Sterling.
At the University of South Dakota, the connection between classroom learning and career outcomes often comes to life through the stories of its students and alumni. At Sterling, a leading Global Solutions Integrator based in North Sioux City, South Dakota, the connection between USD graduates and industry success is especially clear.
Sterling solves complex technology challenges for the public sector, systems integrators and commercial enterprises, partnering with industry leaders to support clients’ diverse technology goals. Through customized solutions, Sterling delivers optimal performance outcomes for every deployment. It is also a place where USD graduates are not only launching their careers, but continuing to shape the company’s future through mentorship, leadership and a shared commitment to growth.
Growing up in Sioux City, Lauren Miller was already familiar with Sterling’s presence in the community, but it was her time at USD that truly opened the door. As a business administration major with a marketing specialization, Miller made it a priority to gain real-world experience through three different internships that exposed her to operations, warehouse logistics and marketing. Each experience gave her a deeper understanding of the business and helped her refine what she wanted in a full-time career.
“I tried to fill every summer with an internship,” Miller shared, emphasizing how valuable it was to experience the day-to-day realities of a professional role.
By the time she graduated in 2023, the decision to return to Sterling felt natural. The culture, team environment and opportunities for growth she experienced as an intern made it clear that it was the right place to begin her career. Today, she works on Sterling’s partner business management team, helping support relationships with more than 1,800 partners and contributing to the company’s continued success.
Miller’s story is where Hollyn Carlton’s begins. The two met as students at USD, and Miller encouraged Carlton to explore career opportunities at Sterling.
Originally from California, Carlton came to USD as a student-athlete and quickly immersed herself in opportunities within the Beacom School of Business. From marketing-focused internships and consulting experiences to leadership roles in student organizations, she took full advantage of every opportunity to build her skills and explore her interests. That involvement paid off when she secured a content specialist role with the marketing team at Sterling before graduating in 2022.
Over the next two years, Carlton expanded her expertise across campaigns, events and digital strategy, ultimately stepping into her current role as digital marketing lead. Her experience reflects not only her own initiative, but also the supportive environment at Sterling.
The spirit of support Miller displayed to Carlton extends beyond the workplace and back to USD. Carlton remains actively involved through Beacom Alumni Mentoring Program, where she mentors current students interested in marketing careers. Through this program, she helps bridge the gap between academics and industry, even inviting students to shadow Sterling’s marketing team and gain firsthand exposure to the field.
“My advice for students at USD is to take every opportunity to be involved and to ask questions,” Carlton said. “Internships are really about what you like and finding out what you don’t like. They’re about curiosity, so I would encourage students to take the initiative and get involved in any opportunity they can and pursue those.”
Together, Miller and Carlton’s stories reflect a broader trend at Sterling: a strong and growing pipeline of USD talent making an impact across the organization. From emerging professionals to leadership roles, including Vice President of Partner Management & Marketing, Megan Moore, a 2013 University of South Dakota graduate USD graduates continue to help shape Sterling’s culture and success.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see USD students come to Sterling as interns and grow throughout their careers here,” Moore said. “It’s also great to see our employees not only thrive within the company but also give back by helping create similar opportunities for other students. Sterling values the education and work ethic that USD provides and pairing that with real-world internship experience is incredibly impactful.”
The connection between USD and Sterling continues to grow through Sterling’s sponsorship of the USD Beacom School of Business Sales Center, which creates additional opportunities for students interested in sales careers to gain hands-on experience through Sterling’s internship program at any stage of their educational journey.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to developing future leaders equipped not only with technical knowledge, but also with the collaboration, curiosity and community mindset that define both institutions.
To learn more about internship opportunities at Sterling visit, www.sterling.com/careers/ or USD’s Center for Career Design.
