Kaiya Boll – Marketing Internship
My name is Kaiya Boll, and I am the Marketing Intern at Garden Spot Village under Juanita Fox. Through this internship, I am learning about the work that goes into marketing for a nonprofit
organization and building relationships both inside and outside of the community. My typical day starts with checking emails on my Garden Spot account and responding to anything that needs addressing. I sometimes get sent over articles, press releases, or other forms to proofread, so that is usually my first priority. Then I begin working on whatever blog post article I currently have in progress. I have gotten the opportunity to do a variety of types of posts, from interviews of residents about their projects to lists of places to take your family throughout the spring and summer. The other big project I have is transcribing Garden Spot’s podcast, Purpose in Retirement.
Right now, my two main projects have been transcription work, as well as writing articles and other forms of media. For every episode of the three seasons of Purpose in Retirement, I take a computer-generated transcript and clean it up to be as accurate and precise as possible. It helps search engine optimization for there to be words attached to podcasts, so having the
transcripts there not only helps residents who might need them but also helps the podcast
reach new audiences. Because I am fairly adept with this transcribing work, I also have helped
with writing captions on other video projects that Garden Spot produces. Additionally, I have
written numerous blog posts and press releases about a range of topics, and I have released
press releases to news outlets to generate community interest.
This internship has taught me a lot about the importance of developing and maintaining
relationships both inside and outside of the Garden Spot community. Not only am I working to
develop and enhance relationships with my coworkers, but also with residents. It’s part of
Garden Spot’s culture to be as welcoming and open to residents as possible, and because the
marketing department is right in the hub of the village, we often get residents wandering in just
to say hi. And while it might be a bit challenging for me to always be so friendly to people, I
understand the importance of keeping up a brand and maintaining positive relationships with
others. I also have learned more about what goes into material released to various groups,
whether that be something released to staff or to residents, or to the media- it’s all about keeping up a particular image. I have really enjoyed the work I have gotten to do thus far, and it has made me more interested in pursuing a career in the English field or something related to
communications and writing.