HR student gains valuable lesson as State Fair intern

Nov. 25, 2024 ― DENTON ― Texas Woman’s senior Amanda Stafford was one of more than 2 million people to visit the State Fair of Texas in 2024. She sampled the award-winning Dominican fritura dog, rode the ferris wheel and had her picture taken in front of the iconic Big Tex. 

But the human resource management major’s State Fair experience went way beyond amusement rides and mouth-watering fare. Stafford came away knowing an unusual number of facts about the annual event. She knows the State Fair hires 2,500 employees every summer. She knows the exact number of parking attendants needed to keep the event operating smoothly.

Stafford knows these details because she recently completed a human resources internship for the State Fair. She was part of a team that hired 750 people for the gates department, including those parking attendants. 

“I was the main point of contact for six departments,” Stafford said. “I was in charge of hiring, staying in touch with the department managers, doing the on-boarding for those employees. If they had to be terminated, any verbal warnings, I would handle that.” 

When Stafford heard that she was hired in June, she was over the moon. She was hoping to get basic HR experiences like recruiting, interviewing skills, learning the laws and regulations and how they apply to a specific company. She did get all that, but she also learned a lot of life lessons. Like making tough decisions about hiring and firing.  

“I learned so much more than I actually thought I would learn,” Stafford said. “I feel much more confident in my abilities as an HR professional.” 

Although it sounds like it would be fun to work at the State Fair since you are almost always just a few steps away from funnel cakes and a rodeo, Stafford says it wasn’t all games and rides and greasy food. 

By the end of August, Stafford’s team was short 150 parking attendants. So, it was a race against time to hire more. 

“The numbers were the most stressful,” Stafford said. “We needed a certain number of parking attendants for the fair to run smoothly. It was really trying to hit that number by a certain time so they could get the training they needed.”

Once it started on Sept. 28, Stafford was able to ease up on the gas pedal a little and enjoy the fair on her off days. 

“It was so amazing seeing the fair put together,” Stafford said. “Wow, I did all that. The fair would not be running if I didn’t hire the right amount of people. It was really cool to see the fruits of my labor.” 

Stafford’s last day of work was Oct. 21, one day after the fair ended. She didn’t have much time to reflect on everything ending because she was getting ready for a new HR internship at Safran USA in Irving. 

Stafford interviewed with the company three times previously with no success. The fourth time was a charm, she quipped. She believes her State Fair internship played a big role in her getting the opportunity this time around. 

“I was sad for the fair internship to end but I’m excited to move on and I’m excited for what the future has,” Stafford said.