Communications interns Wrap up internship at St. David's
Join us in wishing a successful start of the school year to Ebony Hicks and Kailah Oliver. Ebony and Kailah joined us as communications interns this summer through our collaboration with AISD’s Summer Internship Program. The objective of the program is to provide opportunities for high school students to develop professional skills, receive hands-on training, and gain real-world work experience.
While working for St. David’s, Ebony and Kailah completed an important research project that will support and enhance the work of our communications department. We thank them for their hard work and wish them a successful start to their new school year. Read their reflections.
Ebony Hicks
Hello, my name is Ebony Olivia Hicks, and I am currently a sophomore going into my Junior year at Akins Early College High School.
Joining this internship has really been an eye-opener for me; this is my first time joining an internship program. While clicking the applicants on which internship position we had the most interest in, I never really registered what may be a part of a communication department, but throughout each week, I've grown more interested in what takes place in a church on a deeper level. Learning about the amount of effort is mind-blowing because reaching out to communities isn't as easy as it sounds. Yet it's been such an amazing experience learning about the ministries, how to compare analytics, researching St. David's platforms, and making suggestions on how to improve the range of communities centered around the Austin area.
Going into the internship, I was expecting to grow more in my communication skills, yet after completing this internship, I aim to take away the exploration side of research on a deeper level, and also continuously grow in making suggestive feedback. But on a major level of takeaways, it is the love and welcoming aspects within the whole community at St. David's; there are no limitations to expanding their love to anyone trying to be a part of the St. David's community. I've grown very fond of this detail, and I would love to carry it out throughout my life as I connect with others along the pathway God has prepared for me.
My experience at St. David's wasn't linear, but I really think that it added to the experience of being on campus. It was very nerve-racking, and I was more or less nervous to continue through the upcoming weeks of the internship, yet meeting the ministries is what pulled me out of my shell. Especially the children's ministry, as I was amazed by the amount of joy Ms. Kristin had every time Kailah and I came into contact with her; it made me feel heard, as I've never met someone with such a relatable feeling of immense delight throughout the week.
I found it surprising how many different ministries there were, along with the variety of programs and organizations St. David's has to offer, and it really saddens me to know not many people are aware of all that they have for the communities in Austin to join in and be a part of.
Some key points I want to take with me alongside developing my presentation are the comparison of pros and cons of promotional aspects that are considered at St. David's. Making charts of any typical or best promotional ways, while also using those skills of making suggestive feedback and exploring ways to improve those promotional ways for St. David's. I hope that with this presentation, in some way, it can uplift the community's awareness of St. David's organizations that are here to help provide service to anyone's needs.
Kailah Oliver
My name is Kailah Oliver and I attend Akins High School.
I was really excited to get connected with St. David's and start learning about communications in a church setting. I’ve never been in any church setting so it was a little intimidating as well.
I expected to gain practical experience in content creation and community engagement, especially around events as it was stated in the small description that we initially got.
My experience has been great. I was surprised by how much goes into coordinating communications across different ministries, but it's been rewarding to see it all work together. I’ve learned that every project has a meaningful purpose to create a strong impact on how we can better organize and build relationships.
I'm taking away a lot about efficient survey design and how to tailor messaging for different community groups. I’m thankful to have such a supportive and hardworking staff by my side to help me in any difficult situation.
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