Intern from Home

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Hello there! Sarah the intern here. You may not remember me since I have been working a lot behind the scenes at Ment the last few months. Since we last {virtually} met, a few things have changed. As I finished out my semester as a Junior at WKU and doing what I like to call  “college-ing from home,” I said yes to staying on with Ment for another round of internship. So let me re-introduce myself…

Quick Refresher

I’ve been the strategic marketing intern for the last few months and loving it! I’m now a senior at WKU majoring in strategic marketing (I think that’s the first time I’ve actually said that I’m a senior which is very weird, exciting, and scary all at the same time). However now, I have transitioned into Hannah’s old shoes as the digital media intern.  For the next few months, I’ll be managing and assisting with all things media related which includes writing our blogs! 

What I have been up to (COVID Edition)

Even though absolutely nothing has gone according to plan for the last few months, quarantine has been a great lesson for me to take things day by day even when we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic. That’s a lesson hard to remember sometimes, because I am someone who always looks for structure and likes to have a plan for everything I do. My grandma always says, “It is what it is,” and boy has this been an example of that mindset.  

With all of the craziness, I have had to adjust to being an intern, school-ing, socializing, and even living at home. I am one of the lucky ones who has a family and a home to go to during this time. However, I never expected to reside in Taylorsville, KY this long again. All of the adjustments have been tough in their own way and even as someone of the “technological age,” being in a time of only technology is trying. I have felt so much more burnt out after so much screen time, I spent days on end alone with my laptop watching video lectures and attending the occasional Zoom meeting. Raise your hand if you can relate! Let’s just say it has been much easier to binge One Tree Hill on Hulu or play with my dog or go on a drive.  

We’re all in this together

This time has been hard for everyone. Most people have been way more affected than I have. But we’ve all been affected because this pandemic does not discriminate. Through my adjustments and coping, I’ve been thinking (and missing) a lot about my life in BG. So I have compiled a list of what I use to take for granted and what I can’t wait to do when I get back in the fall.

I can’t wait to.. 

  • Go on trips to Spencer’s Coffee pretending to study with my friends
  • Give campus tours to excited high schoolers 
  • Walk through Grise hall and either freeze or sweat to death (there is no in-between in that building) 
  • Pull all-nighters studying for finals in the Honors College 
  • Go on midnight GADS runs 
  • Be in the church 
  • To actually get my homework done in Ment’s lounge 

During this time I’ve especially been missing Ment. I miss the people I work with and of course, our mascot Stevie. Every day that I physically was working at Ment, I felt ten times more productive and the quality of my work was noticeably better. To sum up, I wish that I was writing this blog from within the walls of 911 College Street, Suite 203! But I’m still so excited to have the opportunity to continue learning about the coworking world and more about marketing, professional use of social media, branding, and more. As for right now though, I’ll settle for a summer of working from my couch as I cowork with my dog, Morgan.  

 

 

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Interning Through a Pandemic

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As an intern during my first ever “PR gig,” it’s been a time to be alive. I’ve learned quite a bit about what my future PR job may consist of, but needless to say, nothing has prepared me quite like working in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. 

The biggest thing I have learned to do: adapt. 

I thought I knew what this meant. You plan out all of your posts (I heart you Hootsuite) and change them a little as you go. Trending topics? You write a blog on them of course. You plan out this really cute post about how it is a beautiful day outside – and then it ends up raining on that day. Bummer but no biggie right? You exchange a few words and replace “sunny” with “rainy” and voila! 

 

Reality

But then “disaster” strikes *cue the scary sound effects* and you are forced to redo months’ worth of content. All of that hard work, all of the well thought out content and photos that you took and they are now gone. It’s another few days behind the computer rethinking everything. Canceling the event you were working so hard on and living on the internet as you now go into “crisis mode.” 

You’re now producing emails that are as compassionate but also as immediate as you can to send to clients, customers, and community members. Posting on social media constantly and updating the public on how you are taking precautions and what this means for you all as a business (even though you’re still figuring it out yourselves). 

I probably made this sound awful, but the reality? It woke me up quickly to what the PR world is really like. Did it scare me? A little. But did it send me running? Definitely not. As they say – you have to see something in its darkest moments to really love it right? Well, PR…I still love you. 

In a perfect world where I love to have everything planned out and know what to expect, this was not ideal for me but like many other things, we must ADAPT. And so I did just this. 

In fact, it kicked my but into gear. I was more motivated than ever to turn this into my opportunity to create something new and different. It presented me with a challenge and if nothing else, gave me a reason to still get out of bed early during this whole quarantine life. 

 

What it taught me

A few keywords and phrases to describe what has been proven to be the most important: 

Adapting, innovation, creativity, set yourself apart, communication and crisis communication, determination, quick on your feet, don’t give up, teamwork, ideas ideas ideas (that’s one phrase) and growth…just to name a few. 

So with all of this being said, I am choosing to turn all of this into a “good” thing…after all, that’s what we’re all trying to do right? To find the good in all of this madness? So when someone asks me how my first ever public relations internship went my answer will be – hectic. 

After a strange look, I will follow with “insightful.” I learned how to adapt, and re-evaluate and more than anything – to grow. So when I have my next interview and someone asks that dreaded “tell me a time when you had to solve a problem and how did you do it?” question, you can guarantee I will have an answer for that one! 

Who knows, this could just be my “leg up” in the world of public relations.  

Needless to say – I am currently trying to figure out how to add “Ment Cowork Digital Media Intern (and kicking butt during a pandemic)” to my resume. Subtle right? 

 

Here’s the hard part

Oh, did I mention my time at Ment Cowork has come to an end? That’s right guys, I am parting ways with my new favorite Bowling Green space and one that will always be in my heart. From creating my first official press release and campaign plan to being part of planning events, building relationships, and creating content, I am more confident moving toward a future in PR. I even reinvigorated my passion for writing through my newfound love of blogging! 

Ment Cowork and my amazing community manager Hayley Kruth inspired me to keep improving and pushing toward what I love. Our building owner JD has shown me what can happen when you truly put 110% into everything you do. My time at Ment has inspired me to better myself, my brand, my image, and everything in between! 

As I figure out what my summer (post-pandemic) looks like, I will then be finishing my last year of college to receive my double major in photojournalism and public relations, and as always, making my own opportunities as I go along. 

On the other hand, our fellow Ment Marketing intern, Sarah Tipton (round of applause for all of her amazing work this semester as well!) will be taking over for me in the following weeks as the new digital media intern this summer. Get ready for some more amazing content and keep your eyes open for what happens next. The world of work as we know it is about to change and I cannot wait to see how Ment Cowork thrives.  

 

See ya later Ment!  

 

Feel free to keep up with me via social! 
hannahvanover.com 
@_hannah_vanover_
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Our Newest Mentern

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Hello everyone! My name is Sarah Tipton and I am the newest ‘mentern’ here at Ment Cowork! I am a junior at Western Kentucky University majoring in strategic marketing. I am so excited to finally gain some real world experience in my field. It is my goal to learn more through this internship than I have in the classroom. My duties here will include creating a market strategy for us and a plan as we move forward. 

My future plans and goals are as unpredictable as a magic 8 ball. I feel like I have no idea what my future holds. That thought used to scare me, but I know God’s watching out for me. But for today at least, my plan is to immediately get my MBA after undergrad and then off to Nashville or Louisville. Though my dream would be to move to London for a couple of years first and travel on as many weekends as I could! 

A Little Bit of Background

I grew up on a beef cattle farm in Taylorsville, KY. One of my “fun facts” is that I went to a Christian school where my graduating class was only 4 people. Yes, you read that correctly, there were four of us. WKU was a big change after that, but I absolutely love it and try to stay as involved as possible: I am a member of Omega Phi Alpha, an ambassador for the Honors College, a counselor for honors freshman orientation (H4), and a member of Women in Business. I try to stay busy, but occasionally  “busy” means that I am at my apartment watching Friends, Gilmore Girls, or maybe even Hannah Montana. Don’t judge, it’s called #selfcare.  

What ‘Type’ of Person Sarah Is

I am a 6 on the enneagram and in Ravenclaw house so I am loyal, hardworking, paranoid, and seek safety, I tell everyone just to imagine a golden retriever in human form. As an avid coffee and pasta lover, I enjoy traveling and even spent last spring at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England! During the trip, I was able to visit 13 countries in just 4 months. I have also gone on a cross country RV trip with my family, so travel is my middle name, when I can afford it at least. I also enjoy things like cooking, listening to Crime Junkie (which makes me extra paranoid), puns, taking care of my plants, and too much online shopping—rip to my bank account. 

Her -ment Word

Lastly, I must reveal to you all what my “ment” word is! I wanted to choose one that no one has yet, and I have chosen…. fulfillment. In the past I have always felt like there was more that I needed to be doing and I worried about the “what if’s.” I constantly felt stressed by this. Therefore a goal I have for myself is to find fulfillment. Whether it is in where I am or by the things that I have been blessed with in the moment I am in. I hope to learn to let go of my fears and enjoy the moment. I look forward to my time at 911 College Street being a time to push me out of my comfort zone, but also teaching me not worry about the things yet to come.

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