What Do Social Action, Muppets & Pro Football Players Have in Common?

Me! How could I be the common thread between these three very different things, you ask? Each of them represents one of the internships I had in college, three very different experiences that taught me many important lessons I could never have learned in a classroom.

Social Action

The summer after my sophomore year of college, I participated in the Religious Action Center‘s Machon Kaplan summer internship program in Washington, D.C. (The RAC is the social action arm of the Reform Movement of Judaism.) Although most of my fellow interns worked at various non-profits and government agencies across the District, I was one of three to intern at the RAC itself. I spent my days in the Communications office, organizing press contact lists, and going through tapes from speeches by the director. My major project was working on the website, reformatting informational pages on various issues so that they would be more appealing to the Web reader. I learned about the challenges faced by social action organizations, and finding the courage and strength to stand up for what you believe in.

Muppets

During the following summer, I interned again, this time in New York City at Sesame Workshop. For those who don’t know, Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street. Let me just say that I freaking love Elmo! I am not ashamed to tell you that I have two stuffed ones currently residing in my apartment. (More on the cute red monster later). So, while at Sesame, I worked in the Digital Media department on a variety of projects. They were in the process of doing a major overhaul on SesameStreet.com and SesameWorkshop.org, so I spent a lot of time helping with QA testing for the sites. I got to do a little writing and editing, although I’m not sure if they ever actually used my stuff. My boss was very dedicated to her job, and was also the head of the department, so I didn’t see much of her most days. I learned the importance of taking initiative and coming up with useful projects on my own. I also established relationships with other people in the department so I felt comfortable going to them if I needed something to do when my boss wasn’t around. And, I discovered that cubicles and carpet do in fact come in bright primary colors.

It was pretty crazy the entire four months that I was there. People worked long hours and ate lunch at their desks. I only really had one friend, a freelance Web designer named Chris. I learned a lot from him too, like how difficult it is to freelance, what it takes to establish yourself in the industry, and how incredibly valuable health benefits can be. I also learned that it’s perfectly okay to let your inner child out to play sometimes. One day, Kevin Clash, the Muppeteer behind Elmo, came into the office to record some video for the new site. Other Muppeteers had been in before, but he was the one I was really looking forward to. I had recently read his book, My Life As a Furry Red Monster, which is all about the things he’s learned from playing Elmo. At first, I thought asking him to sign it would be silly… but then I got over it after reminding myself that I would probably never have this opportunity again.  I met him, and he signed the book, and I’m so glad I asked.

Pro Football Players

For a while, I considered studying abroad. I love traveling, and I’ve been to a lot of amazing places, but when it comes to months at a time, I really prefer being close to home . So, I came up with a compromise, and spent a semester in Washington, D.C. on a program through The Washington Center. I went in not knowing anybody, and came out with some great friends and fantastic experiences. TWC coordinated an impressive speaker series for us every Monday afternoon, and one night a week, I took a Journalism class taught by a professional journalist. The rest of the time was spent interning. It was pretty close to the hours of a full-time job. The first lesson I learned was how to manage my time while working 4 1/2 days a week.

You’re probably wondering where the heck I interned and what it has to do with pro football players. I was the Communications Intern for NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of  the NFL Players Association. The next time you see a commercial with a football player in it, look for the little red logo. That’s the sign that NFL PLAYERS has approved the ad and made sure the player was compensated.  In addition to protecting the players, they also maintain an info packed website: NFLPLAYERS.com, full of news and info on all things NFL players.

If you know me, you know that I am a big (insert height joke here) Patriots fan, and I have been pretty much my whole life. I just love the game of football, so this internship was pretty much a dream come true for me. I was an intern, but once I had proven myself, I was given a lot of responsibility.  My supervisor really wanted me to get as much experience as possible. I was able to weigh in on rough cuts for the Helmets Off television series, work on press releases, and help sort through photos for the print and microsite aspects of their current marketing campaign.

But, I have to say that my favorite project was the work I did for NFLPLAYERS.com.  There was a program called Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP that honored NFL players who were standouts in their community and did a lot to give back. A group of players were selected as finalists, and each one was recognized with a playground build or a field refurbishment in their community which they participated in. At the end of the season, a panel of judges chose one player as the winner, and they were recognized during Super Bowl weekend. I would do research on each of the finalists and their community service involvement, prepare questions, and then interview them on the phone on the day of their building project. Not only was it freaking awesome to be able to talk to professional athletes, it was also incredible training that I never got in any of my classes. For the football fans out there, some of the guys I talked to included: Isaac Bruce, Kevin Mawae, Tommie Harris, Warrick Dunn, and Antwaan Randel El. (I was supposed to talk to Kurt Warner too, but unfortunately we kept missing each other.)

This opportunity was given to me because I earned it with consistent hard work and professionalism.  It was great to be able to show people a different side to these guys than what is normally portrayed in the media. I also earned the chance to interview someone from my favorite team. In my last week at NFL PLAYERS, I got to call a few of the Pats and see if anyone answered. I had prepared questions for all of them, but unfortunately no one picked up. One day, I decided I would try once more before I left for the night, and my determination was rewarded. Matt Light picked up the phone, and although the only reason he picked up was because he thought he recognized the number, he was very kind and courteous and answered all of my questions. I even found a way to tell him how much of a fan I am without sounding like a blubbering idiot. Awesome!

Needless to say, I’m a major supporter of internships, plural. No matter how renowned your university is, or what your professors have done in life, there are just some things that you can only learn through hands on experience. Chances are, you’re going to have to do some things you don’t like while you’re there. Some days will be boring and tedious. But, some days will be absolutely amazing and totally worth it. If anyone wants to learn more about my experiences, let me know. I’d be glad to chat with you!

Tagged as: Advice, Journalism, Learning, Networking, NFL