Each summer, Anderson University students gain valuable experience through internships. These experiences help students make a better transition from college to career.
Some of these internships are taking place at various companies and organizations, while others are happening on the Anderson University campus.
The Anderson University Office of Marketing and Communication relies on several interns to help things run smoothly, while at the same time preparing them to enter the workforce. They learn about working together to achieve goals; also working with clients across Anderson University on actual projects. In short, they’re putting what they’ve learned from their class assignments to the real-world test.
Having led Global marketing organizations in lead roles throughout her career, Anderson University Vice President of Marketing and Communication Deonn Baker hired and worked with world-class marketing talent during her career. Baker feels that the interns working in the Office of Marketing and Communication are first-rate.
“We have intentionally crafted for career-readiness,” Baker said. “For example, I met with each student and discussed their future goals. Based on where they want to go after graduation, we have curated projects to give them relevant exposure to develop skill sets needed. We’ve also incorporated career coaching, contract guidance for freelance work, how to negotiate salary or rates into our student experiences.”
Callie Joldersma, a Graphic Design major and Marketing minor from Rock Hill, South Carolina, appreciates the variety of design projects she’s been able to work on for clients. In addition to individual projects, she’s been working on a summer-long project alongside interns Rebekah Smith and Braelyn Boggs.
“So far, I have made brochures, newsletters, posters and t-shirt designs. I also completed a mentor equipping guide booklet for Women’s Ministry,” Joldersma said. “This internship is my first introduction to working in the field of design and has been a helpful experience. It has allowed me to intertwine skills in graphic design, marketing and photography. Each project presents different needs that we must cater to, and I am thankful for this opportunity to continue gaining experience with creative problem-solving. Client interaction is another area I have enjoyed as I seek to serve them best through my work.”
Smith, a Graphic Design major from Delaware, said, “I went to a public high school and developed a passion for art very early on in between playing sports. My passion for graphic design was mostly through senior year. I really enjoyed drawing and learning about digital media with some wonderful art teachers. In projects I found that graphic design was the pathway I was hoping to take in college.”
Smith has done many projects in Adobe Illustrator, which she says is her favorite design software.
“I worked on association brochures, a Teaching Fellows hinged book and some digital signage for summer camps and programs here at AU,” Smith said. “I really appreciate how the team works together. My supervisors are Anna Potter and Kristin Fereira. They oversee our work and assign us projects. They trust our process and they trust our skills, and that allows for more self-discipline throughout this process… I rely on the other interns for suggestions and critique and for my own abilities to trust that I’m doing the work that my client needs.”
Smith added, “I see a lot of similarities in the work that I’ve done throughout college, predominantly because our professors taught us design principles and processes to follow, from ideation to designing, but I would say more of the work that I do in class is for grades and here we’re producing projects at a faster pace and it’s less of the ideation and more of the making.”
Boggs, a Graphic Design major from Greenwood, South Carolina, has spent her internship working on branding projects and graphics for social media posts and stories.
She says her internship gives her an opportunity to work on many different types of projects and also learning the type of graphic design work she enjoys the most.
“Because graphic design has so many different job avenues, getting the chance to work on different types of projects and work with different clients is very helpful,” Boggs said. “It’s rewarding to see the hard work that I put in during the school year pay off when the design process for creating a brand feels like second nature now. I’m learning to be confident in my decision making as a designer. This is my first time working with real clients.”
As a social media intern, Gillian Thompson, a rising senior double majoring in Public Relations and Costume Design from Mills River, North Carolina, works closely with Associate Director of Communications Caroline Cothran on social media planning and strategy.
“I started working in the Office of Marketing and Communications my second semester of my freshman year as a content creator and host. I was on a team of about six students. We work with Caroline to make all of the content that you see on pretty much every platform we’re on—Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest—all of those places,” said Thompson, who also minors in Digital Media. “We make all the content… in order to make sure we’re communicating everything to students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff… We’ll brainstorm content together, write captions, edit videos and publish them for approval.”
When asked about her career goals, Thompson said, “I’m leaning towards social media management and I want to work for a production agency that has either an opening in social media management or in wardrobing. Thompson has worked on productions for the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University.
“I can do costumes for a play, but I really enjoy putting together normal outfits, things people would wear when hosting their podcast or news show. I would love to help them design their wardrobe,” Thompson said.” It really depends on what God opens up for me first.”
Zoe’ Howell, a senior Art major from Columbia, South Carolina, with a concentration in Painting and Drawing and a minor in Communications, fell in love with the campus, atmosphere and the people at Anderson.
“I participated in the scholarship competition for the Diversity and Leadership program and saw my potential as a leader in my craft and community,” Howell said. “A few more months of earning more scholarships and good grades in high school and I found myself on board to becoming a Trojan in 2021.”
Howell is currently working as a photography editor for images taken for the Office of Marketing and Communication.
“I work remotely but have fun working on projects that involve using applications like Adobe Lightroom,” Howell said. “Being in AU helped me rekindle my love for creative digital projects as well as art, and I hope to one day merge those two loves for my future career. This internship helps me see the ways that I can edit through both a creative and professional lens… More importantly, this job is a good way to see how a working environment can be productive and fun at the same time.”
Howell added, “I’ve worked with Lightroom before, but it’s nice to learn new tricks to it that involve utilizing AI… (responsibly, of course), I can use it to make great edits. I’m also learning how to work in a more professional environment, which is exciting and informative for my future.”
Annie Vo, a Painting and Drawing major from Simpsonville, South Carolina, is interning as a photographer, covering summer camps and Anderson University’s Base Camp.
“The biggest thing that I learned so far is to not be afraid of making mistakes,” Vo said. “When I first started photography, I was hesitant to take photos because I was worrying over getting the perfect photos. However, I realize that I cannot hesitate when I must take photos as events go by quickly, so I must take the shots even if it’s not exactly perfect.”
Though many Marketing and Communication interns are in communication-related degree programs, Gardner Wilson is an Electrical Engineering major. Wilson, who comes from the Anderson-Clemson area, is gaining experience editing photos and videos to be posted online.
“While video editing itself is not directly applicable to my major, there exists another component which is common among nearly every job: people. Learning to communicate one’s thoughts, working through scheduling, and applying constructive criticism given by others are skills that can be taken anywhere,” Wilson said. “I have a tendency to strive for perfection, for better or worse. As a more analytical person, I am finding great merit in exploring this creative outlet due to the fact that much of it is not made of concretes and absolutes. While guidelines do exist, there are often multiple ways to achieve the same end result. Coming to grips with this fact has been one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of this experience.”
As one of the internship supervisors, Cothran has found that student employees and interns and not just helpful, but invaluable.
“I am constantly inspired and encouraged by the caliber of students we have in our office. They end up becoming just as much a part of the team as our full-time staff, and I heavily rely on them for ideas and assistance. I feel comfortable delegating tasks because I am 100 percent confident they are up to the task. Our expectations for them in the summer are not small, and they rise to the challenge every day,” Cothran said. “I’m so proud to know them, and will forever be thankful for the opportunity to mentor them as they grow in their God-given callings.”
“We are blessed by each one of these students. Their input, talent and ideas make AU stronger and a great place to work,” Baker said. “We pray that God uses this experience to help prepare them for all God has created them to be.”
