Farewell

to our 2020 Spring Interns 

Kimberly Newton, Virginia Tech 

Hi, my name is Kimberly Newton and I am a rising senior at Virginia Tech. I am a Public Relations major with a minor in Consumer Studies. When I first accepted the position to intern for the Blacksburg Partnership I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I am so glad I accepted the opportunity. At the Blacksburg Partnership, I have been able to work with great people and learn much-needed skills that will help me to succeed in my future career. I got to partake in the helping of planning events, assist in graphic design creations, partake in running social media platforms, and even write a couple of blogs. My favorite thing about interning at the Blacksburg Partnership has definitely been learning from my coworkers and gathering a better understanding of the kind of work I want to get into after graduation next year. My favorite Hokie bird is the "Hokie Pokie Dot" bird. As far as my favorite thing about Virginia Tech, I love the community here and how everyone is Blacksburg is proud to be a Hokie. My advice to future interns for the Blacksburg Partnership is to take it all in, take every opportunity to learn a new skill inside and outside of the office. My time at the Blacksburg Partnership has been so beneficial to me and I can't believe the semester is already coming to an end. Go Hokies!

Julia Hilburger, Radford University

Hi! My name is Julia and I'm a senior at Radford University majoring in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. My favorite thing about Radford is the close-knit community. Over my 4 years there, I got to know professors and students in my field on a personal level. I love the fact that I could walk on campus and always see a friend or professor I know. During my time at the Blacksburg Partnership, I have learned important skills that I will carry with me as I graduate and enter the real world. One of the favorite things I've done as an intern is run the Humans of Blacksburg social media. I love doing interviews, getting to know a few individuals in Blacksburg, and then seeing the finished product on our social media pages.  The Blacksburg Partnership has helped me realize that I want to start a career in Event Planning or Public Relations. My post-graduation plan is to find a job in those fields in the DC/Arlington area. My advice to future interns would be to not take for granted your time in the office! My time working was cut short due to the pandemic. Working from home is still fun, but nothing beats being able to go into the office. Appreciate it! 

Corinne Marr, Virginia Tech

Hi, my name is Corinne Marr and I am a rising junior at Virginia Tech. I am majoring in public relations with a focus in event planning. I have always been interested in event planning and marketing, so when I heard about this internship I knew it would be the perfect fit. I got to learn so many new things with The Blacksburg Partnership. During my time I worked on social media posts, newsletters, press releases, advertisements, WordPress, marketing, logos, and so many more insightful skills for my future career. My favorite part about this internship would definitely be the amount of support and help I received from other interns and my three supervisors. Everyone was always there to help, even when things got a little different during quarantine. My favorite HokieBird is probably the executive bird because it portrays power, and I think that I would definitely want that on my desk at work. The only advice I would give to future interns is to try everything that they give you to your full potential. Take on this internship head-on and take advantage of all the opportunities they give you to learn new things. My favorite thing about Virginia Tech overall is the community. The amount of support I have at Virginia Tech is truly amazing and I am so grateful that I can truly say this is home.