A little about me
I am a junior at Old Dominion University, graduating in December 2025 with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in marketing. I grew up in a rural county in Central Virginia with my eldest brother and mother. Education and dreams were emphasized throughout my childhood, and I was always told I could do anything I put my mind to. In high school, I took several college-level courses, therefore, coming to university with 22 credits. Education has allowed me to flourish in academic and personal realms.
Professional goals
Once I graduate in December 2025, I plan on entering the corporate world and becoming a consultant or brand strategist. In the future, I would like to create a blog to showcase myself as a professional, but also a creative. My dream is to work for NPR as a writer/interviewer. Once I have worked and gained experience I would like to return to school and earn my Masters and doctorate.
Internship Overview
In the fall of 2024, I heard about an opportunity with the Office of International Collaborations. While researching I found that it was a Humanities internship supported by the Mellon Foundation. I was chosen because of my experience with journalism through my major and extracurriculars. The top task was researching information for their upcoming podcast "All Things International". This included researching equipment, formulating a content schedule, and much more. I was later given the assignment of creating the office's first newsletter. I worked closely with Dr. Patricia Schiaffini-Vedani and Scott Berlin throughout my time in the office. I was expected to conduct interviews and write the newsletter on time. I was able to participate at a table during International Week, where I was able to connect with students to expand and explore their knowledge of international scholarships. This internship emphasized hands-on experience doing research and digital content creation. I work closely with faculty, staff, and students to make engaging content.
The Office of international collaborATIONS
The Office of International Collaborations (OIC) promotes international experiences for faculty and students. The mission of OIC is to provide a diverse and inclusive international campus environment.
Work-Based Learning Projects
Researching Podcast equipment was one of the first assignments I was given. I watched hours of "Best podcasting equipment" videos and read many articles trying to find the perfect equipment. I was given a budget and the freedom to curate a list of items that would meet the needs of OIC's upcoming podcast
These flyers were used to educate and persuade students to look into specific programs that they can attend. I had full creative control over all the flyers and researched what students would most likely want to know. This was my first experience with Adobe Express so I learned how to use it thoroughly with each flyer. This project also allowed me to learn how to navigate a project with minimal direction given; this allowed me to flourish.
I am honored to have been a part of starting up OIC's newsletter. I worked with Dr. Patricia Schiaffini-Vedani and Scott Berlin to ensure that I had all the information that the office wanted to convey for the month. I was in charge of following the ODU brand guide and creating the articles. While doing the newsletter, I learned that all companies have brand guides that must be followed, things like font, color, pictures, and much more.
Related Experience
I was a part of ODU Her Campus for a year and a half. Here, I was able to write articles of interest and get them published through a well-known magazine. Her Campus gave me the creative freedom to explore and interact with like-minded people.
REflection
Being a Journalism major, I have been told many times that I will not be able to use my degree, which is discouraging because English is a topic that I enjoy. This internship has given me the opposite feeling of those comments I feel as if I will be wildly successful in my field after my time at the Office of Internal Collaborations. Having an English degree doesn't limit you, instead, it opens you to many different career options and projects.