Sweet Summertime

Enough about the past and a little about what is going on my last summer of college.

I landed an internship at TCU ISP Sports Network. I am working with the general manager to help enhance customer relationships with our 60 plus Fort Worth clients that advertise at TCU athletic events. I have always hoped I would one day work for an advertising firm but this internship has given me insight on the selling and implementation of advertising. I have also had the opportunity to help plan and organize the annual Superfrog Reading Challenge.

When I am not in the office talking to clients, inserting data into SalesForce, prospecting or going through contracts I am in class. In order to graduate in four years, I am taking two summer courses. I have just completed my first course, Writing for Strategic Communications, where I wrote press releases, fact sheets, pitch letters, position papers, and feature stories.

My favorite assignment was a feature story I wrote about the Union Gospel Mission. After reading the book “Same Kind of Different as Me” I was inspired to visit the Union Gospel Mission off East Lancaster Avenue. My feature story assignment was the perfect chance for me to see the place where the New York Times Bestseller took place.

This week I started my second summer course, Interactive Communication Design. I am really excited to see how much I can learn about web design. This class is particularly important to me because my mom is in the process of opening up her own business and I would like to help setup and design her company website.

On the weekends I spend time with my friends and family. Each chance I get I head out to the lake to tube and ski. When I’m not out at the lake I love to pick up a good book and soak up the sun out by the pool.

Let me simply say... it has been a busy summer!

Internships

A big part of getting a job after graduation is job experience. Today corporations are putting a big emphasis on the importance of internships. The question is, are these internships truly helping students excel in the workforce or are they simply resume toppings?

My two internships taught me a lot of things about myself and changed my perspective of the workforce. I have had the opportunity to intern for non-profit and for-profit corporations, both of which have helped me define my ideal job. It is best to test the waters before you enter into full time employment and internships can help you discover what you want to do and what you don’t want to do.

Most importantly my internships have given me a chance to identify, understand and work with other personality types. Different personality types are needed to run a successful corporation but the key lies in understanding one another, learning to work together, utilizing strengths and overcoming weaknesses.

My internships also taught me how to communicate with supervisors, take inventory, unjam the copier, file paperwork and organize the storage closet. Needless to say, even if you are stuck in a dull internship, you can make the best of it by learning to acknowledge the things you can’t learn in the classroom. Professors, textbooks, and group projects can only teach you the basics. Internships allow you to apply your basic knowledge in a “real world” environment and help you develop valuable interpersonal skills.

As the job market continues to decrease, the competition for jobs continues to increase. Internships can be the defining factor between you and millions of other job applicants. Networking is also a key asset for landing a job right out of college. Internships allow you to enhance your portfolio, network among professionals and provide references.

Let me simply say...the value in college internships is up to you!

Aspire, Engage, Achieve

“Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.” -Alan Lakein

As a child, I was always told that life is all what you make it. Therefore, what you put in is what you get out. So like many other things in my life, I took the same approach towards college. Some may call me a busy body but I would just consider myself productive. I tend to always have a jam packed schedule and I prefer it that way. It seems as if the more I have to do, the better I can manage my time.

I think some students get so caught up in the academic aspect of college that they forget about the benefits of being involved in on-campus organizations. As a student at TCU I do my best to take every opportunity I get to be involved. I believe that participation in on-campus organizations can be just as beneficial as internships.

Each semester I participate in Public Relations Student Society of America, Programming council, LEAPS, leadership seminars and Alpha Delta Pi sorority. These organizations have given me the opportunity to hold leadership roles, give back to the community, experience team building, and taught me the importance of collaboration. Also, they have enhanced my ability to manage time, plan events and remain organized.



College isn’t just about sitting through long lectures, memorizing material and partying. College is the place and time for you to question everything, explore your passions and experience the beauty of life. It is the time to make mistakes, grow and thrive upon the unknown. If you don’t put yourself out there and encounter challenges you may never reach your full potential.

Let me simply say...live life with no regrets!

Time flies when you’re having fun!

I remember getting on the bus for Frog Camp like it was yesterday. It is hard to believe that I am starting my senior year of college. I am having the same feelings of excitement and fear towards starting the next chapter of my life, just like the anticipation I experienced as I boarded the bus to Frog Camp three years ago.

Through the triumphs and trials I have grown and excelled at Texas Christian University. This upcoming year will be a time of change and celebration as I complete my college experience and enter into the “real world.” I am looking forward to walking across that stage next May in a sea of purple, but I believe that it is also important to remember and reflect on the things that helped me achieve my dream.

When I was a freshman in college I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I started off thinking psychology was my calling but that quickly faded and then I got the bright idea that I should be a nurse. Boy, was that a bad idea! Much to my surprise, I finally declared a major in public relations and advertising, with a minor in business.

It is amazing how many roads you travel down until you find the right one! Most importantly, it is the fact that you eventually find your way. After diving into my major courses and exploring my creativity, I wonder why it never occurred to me that strategic communications was the right major for me.

I plan to use this blog as an outlet for my opinions, inspirations and thoughts throughout my senior year of college. I hope you find it interesting, and please feel free to comment about anything I post.

Let me simply say... college is over before you can blink!