Each May, Cardinal Health welcomes a new class of interns to provide meaningful connections and experiences, supporting our teams across the enterprise. This year’s class of 76 interns represents 35-plus colleges and universities across multiple countries.
Brian Moore, VP of talent acquisition, emphasized the impacts that our internship program has on the business and in attracting talent. “Early engagement is one of the most important ways we attract and develop future talent,” Moore said. “Our internship program connects students with meaningful work, professional development opportunities and mentorship from experienced professionals. Interns gain valuable real-world experience, while our teams benefit from new perspectives and innovative ideas. By investing in talent early, we are building a strong pipeline of future professionals who can make an impact from day one.”
Meet six of these outstanding student interns as they reflect on what they learned during their summer internships at Cardinal Health.
Darrin Eaton | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan
Eaton is graduating in the spring of 2027 with a Bachelor of Science in biology, health and society. He spent his internship on-site at the Cardinal Health headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. Cardinal Health’s commitment to innovation was appealing to Eaton, he said, as was the breadth of services we provide to patients and providers.
He applied his combined interests in analytics, business and healthcare during his assignment within our Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment. He worked on Specialty Networks’ PPS Analytics platform, which compiles data from electronic medical records, practice management, imaging and dispensing systems and transforms the data into meaningful and actionable insights for providers, researchers, payers and policymakers.
This summer, Eaton built a tool that calculates a precise return-on-investment for individual healthcare practices using the platform. “The calculator provides specialty practices a clearer, personalized view of the platform’s financial value and helps the Specialty Networks team communicate that value to their customers more effectively,” he said. “I had to work through complex data and make thoughtful assumptions to develop a tool that was both accurate and easy to understand.
The project was designed to solve a real need for the Specialty Networks team. “I was able to take ownership, ask questions and improve the work based on feedback. That responsibility helped me become more confident in my analysis and better at explaining complex ideas clearly.”
Grace Masisak | The Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio
Masisak is an incoming senior who served as an accounting interns with the external reporting team responsible for filing financial and regulatory documents. She said she is most proud of her work streamlining current filing and reporting processes to create a simpler experience for future audit reviewers. “I presented the new process to the team, including upper-level management. My recommendations may have a lasting impact on the department.”
Along with her fellow finance interns, Masisak visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with CFO Aaron Alt and our investor relations team. “We headed to a private room inside the NYSE where an archivist walked us through its history. We got a capital markets breakdown and even joined a live Q&A with one of the financial analysts who studies Cardinal Health. The day gave me a deeper appreciation for the work I contributed to and pushed my ambitions further as I think about the career I want to build.”
About her summer, she said, “I learned how important company culture is. I want to work somewhere that values its people, provides opportunities to grow and has a mission that makes a meaningful impact.” One highlight: She joined the Cardinal Health Pelotonia team to ride 17 miles to raise money and awareness for cancer research. “I’ve learned how much this company invests in its employees and its communities — and its interns.”
Owen McEachern | Bentley University | Waltham, Massachusetts
McEachern (pictured center left), graduating this December, was working with suppliers of Cardinal Health brand medical products as a global strategic sourcing intern. McEachern, who has type 1 diabetes, feels a personal connection to healthcare and seized the opportunity to join the company this summer.
His experiences helped him appreciate the scale of operation that goes into medical and pharmaceutical distribution. “Seeing the many hands that touch a healthcare product, and all the work that goes into getting the product to a hospital, is an inspiring, almost magical-seeming process.”
McEachern said he created lasting relationships with his fellow interns and Cardinal Health employees. “I came into this internship not knowing anyone. But within the first few weeks, I was going with my intern cohort to Tuesday trivia nights and to local eateries on Thursdays. I am grateful for these new friendships.”
He is looking forward to building on this internship and hopes to join our Embark early career leadership development program next year. Inspired by Cardinal Health’s values and commitment to innovation, he would like to continue working on the projects he began this summer, he said.
Natdanai Plabodewat | Chulalongkorn University | Bangkok, Thailand
Plabodewat worked as a manufacturing engineering intern at our medical and surgical manufacturing facility in Rayong, Thailand. He said our company’s global recognition and the scale of our production inspired him to seek his internship.
His duties included finding opportunities for procedural efficiencies and financial savings. “This internship gave me a better understanding of the manufacturing field and its different career opportunities, and helped me build valuable skills that I can apply in the future.
“I am proud of bringing what I’ve learned in school to real manufacturing projects. Here, I learned how important communication and teamwork are to achieving a common goal; I was surprised by how many different departments must work together to complete a project.”
After graduating next year, Plabodewat hopes to find a career in manufacturing. “I believe in ‘No risks, no story.’ I am motivated by opportunities to try new things, challenge myself and learn from new experiences.”
Kyra Walnsch | The Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio
Spending this summer working in our headquarters, Walnsch put her studies in marketing and logistics management and in pharmaceutical sciences to good use, she said. “I’m interested in both healthcare and business, and was excited for the opportunity to contribute to work that ultimately helps improve people's lives. The internship program helped me develop professionally, expand my network, take on meaningful projects and build friendships with an incredible group of fellow interns.”
Walnsch served as a marketing intern on our biopharma solutions team. “One of my favorite parts of the internship was seeing how marketers from different teams work together to create a cohesive marketing strategy,” she said. “Every project gave me a new perspective on healthcare marketing and the impact it can have on patient outcomes.”
She was surprised to learn how willing our employees are to help our interns succeed, she said. “No matter how busy, people consistently made time to meet, answer questions and share advice. I expected to learn from my projects, but I didn't expect to build so many meaningful connections.”
Walnsch hopes to join the Embark program after graduating, to continue to build upon the relationships and projects she started this summer.
Emma Zhang | The Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio
Zhang, who will be a senior this fall, is studying data analytics. Cardinal Health’s goal to become healthcare’s most trusted partner is very appealing to her, she said. “The thought that my work could support a patient is fulfilling and motivating. I want to help people, and as the backbone of the healthcare industry, Cardinal Health is exactly the place to do that.”
As an inventory analytics intern supporting the pharmaceutical supply chain team, Zhang was responsible for optimizing safety stock — a buffer amount of inventory kept in the event of unexpected demand. She had a lot of autonomy in her role, she said, which helped build her confidence. “My internship allowed me to explore machine learning and optimization problems in a business setting. Having hands-on experience solidified my aspirations to pursue this type of job full-time. I am so grateful to my welcoming and supportive team.”
Like McEachern and Walnsch, Zhang hopes to join the Embark program after graduation and gain further experience in inventory management.
We wish the entire 2026 summer intern class the best of luck in their career journeys. A special thanks to Darrin Eaton, Grace Masisak, Owen McEachern, Natdanai Plabodewat, Kyra Walnsch and Emma Zhang for their involvement in this piece.
The application period for the 2027 summer internship class will open in early September. Students who will be rising seniors next summer can learn more at cardinalhealth.com/college.