During my final semester at GVSU this past fall, I was excited to intern at Lambert & Co. and kickstart my professional career in the fast-paced and exciting world of public relations. I have had several internships in the past but interning at Lambert was an experience like none other.

This isn’t the type of internship where you sit around or run to get your teammate’s coffee. I was constantly involved in real work for clients across a number of industries such as education and social impact, consumer brands, automotive and more. Whether it was drafting press releases and blogs to pitching stories to the media or creating social media content and conducting market/influencer research, I was given the opportunity to explore what it is like to be a public relations practitioner.

One of my favorite client accounts to work on was Michigan Connections Academy. I enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the students and their families and learn about their unique stories, which led them to the online learning community. From having the flexibility to explore their passions or just allowing them more time together as a family, their stories were impactful and inspiring, which helped me shape content for the client to share with the world.

Throughout my time at Lambert, I’ve been amazed at the overwhelming compassion and support of the team members across the firm’s various offices. Each team member made sure I had an opportunity to try new things and cared enough to ensure I got the most out of my experience at Lambert. No matter how hectic their own days may have been, everyone took the time to answer my questions and provide helpful feedback.

Although my internship at Lambert has come to an end, I want to especially thank the mentoring of Brenda Duong, Valerie Pesonen, Elise Pelletier and Julia Backus for truly believing in my capabilities and encouraging me along my journey. Their feedback and coaching have allowed me to grow in ways I never thought possible in such a short time.

As I prepare to embark into the world as a public relations practitioner, I am excited to know I have the support and experience needed to thrive in this profession, and the connections I have made along the way will last a lifetime.