I entered my internship at the Canisius Study Abroad Office with the goal to promote international education by improving their social media presence. With my prior work experience in writing for social media, involvement and volunteer experience with Study Abroad and my personal passion for student travel, this goal was very enjoyable to accomplish. As Social Media Intern, I solely managed all social media platforms for Study Abroad using Hootsuite, increased social media engagement and reach by reconstructing and implementing a new Facebook page and re-designed their Facebook profile picture and cover photo. I tracked and monitored the success of the page using Facebook Insights. Three specific posts performed more than 90% of the posts on the page, and in just three months over 30 new people liked the FB page. I concluded my semester by writing a 17-page social media manual to ensure Study Abroad’s long-term presence on Facebook and Twitter. Just the fact that I can list so many specific accomplishments I’ve made over the past semester makes me know this internship experience was a success.

I entered by internship with the Botanical Gardens with more broad of a goal: to gain experience in the marketing world and improve my writing skills. At the Botanical Gardens I took on a variety of projects, from archiving publications to copy editing to counting easter eggs. It was never a boring day at the Gardens, nor was it ever an unhappy one. While I’m pleased to walk out of this internship with portfolio pieces of the many press releases I have written, I’m more pleased with what I learned about corporate culture and leadership style. My supervisor, Erin, is one of the most impressive people I’ve met to date. Her positive attitude and ability to lead people through encouragement and constructive criticism is truly inspiring. From day one I felt comfortable at the Gardens, knowing I was surrounded by people I can trust and get along with. That, to me, is crucial to a healthy work and learning environment, and from now on will be something I require at my place of employment.

Overall, the internships I’ve had this semester have opened my eyes to new interests, my mind to new skills, and my heart to new passions. I could not have asked for anything more.