Anne McGraw
Working with the Public Relations department here at Ole Miss has been an opportunity that I could not have had anywhere else. What started as just part of my grade for my public relations class has turned into much more.
The people here at the Ole Miss Office of Communications have been extremely helpful. Although I don’t want to enter “the real world” anytime soon, this internship has given me a glimpse of what it feels like. Each person who works in the public relations department is so talented in so many different ways. Being able to work with them and pick apart their brain has been an experience that has helped me learn so much.
I started this internship in the beginning of February. Walking in as a nervous intern, I had no idea what to expect. The first day was somewhat of an orientation day. We got to meet all the people, see where our desk was and what exactly it is we would be doing. I’ll never forget meeting Danny Blanton, director of Ole Miss Public Relations.“If you’re not learning, we’re not doing our job,” was the first thing he said.
This internship has given me hands-on experience that I would have never received anywhere else. Seeing my first published news release was very odd. It was surreal to see my name on the same page as my coworkers. Slowly, but surely, I started to get the hang of things.
Seeing the genuine care that these employees have to help me grow is a gift within itself. Ashley Page, my fellow intern, and I have sat down with each member of the staff to learn their strengths and also figure out ways we can learn from them. Learning the different approaches and tips about blogging, news releases and social media has improved my public relations skills immensely.
I would highly recommend this kind of internship to anyone who wants to learn. The genuine goal of the public relations team for their interns is to help them grow. I learn something new here everyday. Each member of staff goes out of their way to help me understand and to help me feel comfortable. The public relations department here at Ole Miss is truly a family and I am very honored to be apart of it.
Anne McGraw is a junior journalism major from Laguna Niguel,Calif.