Zac Nagle – Communications Internship

Have you ever felt like you were overwhelmed by the amount of opportunities in front of you? Probably not a common feeling but can be scary nonetheless. That’s how I was feeling this fall as I pondered my future, and I knew I had to do something to try and solve this dilemma. Luckily I was able to set up an internship at The Factory Ministries in their print shop as a print associate. During this internship, I am learning many communications skills such as graphic design and film editing, as well as what it means to market a brand and run a social media page.

The actual work of the internship can vary a lot depending on what’s needed from week to week. One week I spent editing our website, the next I was designing business cards, and the week after I might edit a promotional video. What I really enjoy about this is it gives me the opportunity to gain experience in many different areas and helps me decide if communications is what I might want to study in the future. My mentor has a master’s in communications so her insight is also very helpful. While she is a nice guiding hand, she also grants a lot of freedom. I am often tasked with creating social media posts for our customer base to see, which is a big task for me to represent a whole brand.

This internship also gives me the skills I’ll need to be able to work on a team in the future. In the print shop, it’s basically like running a small business with only the two of you so coordination is key to make sure all the tasks are being completed. The print shop is also only a small part of the organization as a whole, and it’s vital to make sure we are working towards the common mission of all the other branches. I’ve enjoyed my time working there, and believe my experience will really help me in the future.

Overall, the print shop has been an awesome experience. I am able to work with the printers and cutters which is a cool experience in itself. I also get hands-on experience with aspects of what it may be like to study communications which have been really helpful in my decision with my future plans. I would recommend anybody who is on the fence about what they want to do in the future to pursue an internship or co-op opportunity.