Uptown Greenville internship gives student confidence in future plans

(posted Jan. 15, 2009)

By Meagan Lee

East Carolina senior Tracy Fisher has gained a firsthand look into the world of interning and cannot deny that it’s a valuable experience.
    Tracy is a communication major and her concentration is public relations. She is devoted to her work and is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Tracy hopes to one day work in the world of public relations as an event planner or a public relations representative for a corporation.
In Fall 2008, she interned at Uptown Greenville, “a private nonprofit corporation established in 1992 to develop plans and implement actions necessary to revitalize and to ensure continued growth to the uptown business district of Greenville, North Carolina.”
   Through her internship, Tracy has gained a better understanding of writing for the media, communicating with professionals, and implementing the skills she has learned while studying at East Carolina. Tracy has been afforded the opportunity of helping to plan and promote some of Uptown Greenville’s annual events, write press releases, and participate in meetings held between Uptown Greenville employees and Greenville city officials.
   “What I have enjoyed the most is actually feeling like I am a part of the team.  I have been writing and planning for events that my corporation has been putting on.  This gives me the feeling that I am actually practicing what I need to be practicing.”
   Internships are not only a beneficial experience for the participating student but also for the person, company or organization that decides to hire the intern.
   “Uptown Greenville is an organization that has both a need for additional staff and many great opportunities for students in our community to have hands-on, real world experience,” says Denise Walsh, executive director of Uptown Greenville. “We felt that both the organization and the students would benefit from internship staff.”
   When everything is said and done, internships do more than brighten a resume or introduce students to professionals. More importantly, they transform students and build confidence.
   “Without this internship being my step in the middle I would be stuck in my first day of the real world being nervous and probably confused,” Tracy related. “I feel more confident in my abilities and feel like I would actually be a worthwhile contribution to a company when I graduate.”