In February, my life was full of research papers, presentations, and homework assignments. I was at Appalachian State, working on completing my sophomore year. It was time, however, for me to look past the assignments into the summer and try to decide where I would be able to intern. I am a Communication Studies major, minoring in Political Science and Marketing. After I graduate, I would love to work in the Marketing Industry. When I started my internship search, Alter Imaging was one company that stood out because of their Charlotte Business Journal Award for being one of the best places to work in 2010. I have worked one or two jobs I did not enjoy, and know firsthand that unhappiness at work affects happiness outside of work. With that in mind, I loved that AI takes pride in their employee satisfaction. After sending out a storm of cover letters and resumes, I set up several interviews over Spring Break, and again, AI stood out to me for being friendly and having a strong reputation. I was extremely happy when I learned I got the internship, and could not wait to start in June!
A Bit of Background
I am a junior at Appalachian State and I thoroughly enjoy the college experience. I could not be happier! I love the small town vibe Boone carries, and living in the mountains makes it an ideal second home for me. I grew up taking yearly vacations in January out west with my family for ski trips. Therefore, being able to take skiing as my required physical education class this past year was nothing short of amazing. I keep my days at school busy with classes, tutoring high school students, hall council meetings, and of course hanging out with my wonderful friends. I love exploring new places on the Blue Ridge Parkway and taking pictures, as photography is one of my hobbies. Whenever I am back home, I am usually working part-time at Hallmark or babysitting. Before interning at Alter Imaging, I interned at the American Diabetes Association, Elizabeth Lane Elementary, and the Congressional Office of Sue Myrick. I had a great experience with all three companies and am excited to see what this internship has in store for me!
Summer Forecast
This summer I hope to gain experience in as many different areas of internet marketing as I can. Internet marketing is my focus because I am fascinated by the detailed analysis of content, key words, and link building. Alter Imaging has a great Internet Marketing team to learn from. I’ve learned so much about the basics of SEO in my first month. I am going to be building a personal website which is great because AI recently received three Hermes Creative Awards for their work in web design, so I know I’ll be learning from the best. Specific goals I have for this summer include: getting my Google Analytics and AdWords certification, dabbling in copywriting, creating a personal website, and developing a portfolio.
