I can still remember the day I decided that I wanted to work in public relations.

I had just finished my first semester at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I felt unsure about which major was right for me. I knew that, whatever profession I chose, I wanted to be excited about going to work every day. After scrolling through the list of offered majors, I found public relations, and you can say the rest is history.

As I begin my last internship prior to graduation, I hope to get the best experience possible from Largemouth Communications. While I have been fortunate to have had several internships, there is always something new to learn in this industry. I believe that is partially what attracted me to public relations. Every day brings new projects and opportunities to learn.

With that being said, I have created my own intern bucket list, which I hope will help me learn as much as possible during this internship. I want to challenge myself. Internships are truly what you make out of them. You can be the intern who simply completes every task given to you, or you can venture out of your comfort zone and tackle a project that you’ve never done before. I hope to be the latter.

1. Take on a task that is out of my comfort zone.

As mentioned previously, if I simply complete the tasks that I am given, I wouldn’t be taking advantage of the opportunity my internship can provide. I want to push myself and leave with a unique experience that other interns may not have had.

2. Attend an office event.

I regret that I had never really connected with people I worked with in past internships. I want to be seen as more than just an intern by making an effort to become an active member of the company.

3. Make connections with people outside of my office/team.

In addition to attending an office event, I want to connect with employees who I will not be working with on a daily basis. I want to broaden my network by connecting with both people within Largemouth as well as with people I may be working with outside of the agency. You never know how beneficial a connection can be!

4. Develop my personal brand.

In such a competitive market, there cannot be enough emphasis on developing one’s personal brand. However, I don’t want to create my personal brand simply for the sake of having one. I want to discover how to best brand myself through my interests and passions, and I am optimistic that this internship will allow me to do so.

I hope that my drive and passion for the industry will not only strengthen my own skill set but will also provide a significant contribution for Largemouth Communications as well. After having finished my first day with Largemouth Communications, I can already say that I am excited by the energy and enthusiasm that I find at Largemouth Communications, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead!