The moment I opened my acceptance email into the Arts Intern Program, I had to pinch myself. How did I end up scoring an amazing opportunity that is sure to change my life for the better?
I'm Lauren Betts and I'm the marketing intern here at Art House, Inc. I am a senior at Cleveland State University, majoring in Communication Studies. I'd like to say that Laila and I clicked during my interview for the position, so I was super excited that she chose me. I'm in charge of coming up with a marketing campaign for Art House that will be successful enough to carry on once my nine-week tenure here is done. It's a bit of a daunting task, but I love a challenge and so far, I do believe my efforts will be successful.
So far, my day-to-day has been pretty productive. I've done a lot of research on the surrounding area, learning so much since I am not familiar with the West Side at all (born and raised east-sider). The history and the culture behind the neighborhoods is intriguing and the diversity is a little bit of a culture shock, compared to my experience living on the East Side. I also maintain Art House's digital marketing, posting consistently on our social media sites, promoting brand awareness and connecting with our audience on a personal level.
I work independently for the most part, but I also have frequent interactions with everyone on staff. There is another intern here as well, hired through another organization. Everyone is easy going, great people to bounce ideas off of and I have no problem coming to anyone with questions. What I love most is everyone is passionate about Art House and their mission to the community and I can identify with that wholeheartedly.
I get to put my skills that I've learned in school to the test with this real world experience. I already had research, analyzing data, utilizing social media and print writing skills coming into this internship that have helped me greatly. I'm also gaining new skills like business marketing, graphic design and editing here and I'm excited to put those on my resume.
This is only the end of week three of my internship and I know it will be over in a blink of an eye. I'm definitely making the most of this precious opportunity to hone my skills, perfect them, learn new ideas and create. I can't wait to see how the rest of the summer plays out!