Meet the PDM Intern

Student, North County High School | Student Intern, AACPS Department of Partnerships, Development & Marketing

On a run-of-the-mill Tuesday in March of 2019, I found myself nervously walking up a flight of stairs for an internship interview. My mind was racing with questions I may be asked and I was ecstatic…but I probably didn’t look it, considering this was my first-ever “official” interview in an office environment.

 I was interviewing for an internship position in the Department of Partnerships, Development, & Marketing (PDM) at the Board of Education in Annapolis. The department works closely with families, schools, and business partners to promote fundraising opportunities and events. The PDM office also focuses on creating marketing campaigns, designing web pages, and creating social media content. 

While perusing the AACPS Student Internship Portal, I scrolled through countless opportunities that looked interesting, but they just didn’t jump out at me. Even though I had been enrolled in the STEM Program at North County since the beginning of high school, I was searching for an internship focused on my passions: business, marketing, social media, and graphic design. But as I scrolled further down the page, I stopped in my tracks.

The Board of Education? The headquarters of my school system? How cool would it be to intern there?

As I read into the job description of a Partnerships, Development & Marketing (PDM) intern, I lit up inside. This is exactly what I had been searching for! A lot of the daily tasks were marketing oriented, the hours were flexible, I would help plan and execute county-wide events and campaigns…it checked all the boxes. This was an experiential learning opportunity that would greatly enhance my future college and career endeavors. I knew I had found the internship for me even before I met my future co-workers─meeting them only enhanced this feeling. 

Fast forward almost a full 365 days since that Tuesday in March and I am just two short weeks away from finishing my internship and wrapping up my time with the PDM team.

Saying this experience has transformed my high school career would be an understatement. It’s difficult to sum up how much I have learned from this opportunity. The PDM office opened up doors I didn’t know existed and will continue to introduce me to unique opportunities even after my time at the Board of Education ends. The individuals I worked with here on a daily basis could not have been more supportive, inclusive, and caring. The PDM team encourages teamwork, yet stresses the importance of individuality. For example, our weekly Stand-Up meetings gave me a glimpse of what others in the office are working on and gave me insight into a “day-in-the-life” of several different job opportunities contained in one department.

By far my favorite part of my internship was designing flyers that promoted AACPS campaigns. These flyers were either hung up around the Board of Education or posted digitally. Besides designing flyers that promoted specific events and campaigns, I designed some “feel-good” flyers that were hung on bulletin boards and in restrooms, too. I always felt especially accomplished when someone would compliment my work, exclaiming, “I love these flyers! Who does them?” or “These flyers are beautiful!” My all-time favorite design would have to be creating an infographic introducing several panelists for the Networking Breakfast with the Superintendent. It was a feeling like no other when I exclaimed, “I made those!” as the guests at my table read about the panelists.

Another impactful part of my internship enhanced my passion and interest in website design and management. I received the opportunity to design the website for the 2019 Family Involvement Conference, an event that welcomes families to participate in workshops and discussions about AACPS students. Designing a webpage from scratch is no easy feat, but I quickly learned how to navigate new software (with the help of two awesome co-workers: Lauren Grey-Hawkins and Shelley Davenport!) and plan out a site to meet the needs of all attendees. The website received great feedback and hosted lots of visitors. It warmed my heart to be recognized for my hard work. 

I have formed long-lasting bonds and connections with mentors, teachers, supervisors, and employees during my time at the Board of Education. Over the past five months, I made it a priority to meet as many people and form as many connections as I could. Sometimes, teens (myself included), tend to get too wrapped up in our phones. To counter this, I always made it a point to never have my earphones in while eating lunch in the cafeteria…because you never know who you’re sitting next to! It felt awesome to be able to come to the headquarters of my school system and form relationships with people I have read about in newspapers and seen on AACPS TV & Facebook. 

My experience working with the Partnerships, Development & Marketing office has intensified my passion for social media marketing, graphic, and web design. I plan to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, and my internship at the Board of Education has provided great security and confidence about this decision. Working in an office environment has prepared me for the professional world and I am overwhelmingly thankful that I got to get a glimpse into the workforce before graduating high school. 

My overall experience as a STEM Intern for the Partnerships, Development and Marketing Department has impacted me beyond words. I would not have wanted to spend the first half of my senior year anywhere else. Truly, I owe it all to the people that I have worked with, the relationships I have built, and the skills I’ve gained─it changed the trajectory of my high school career.