Career & Professional Education

I started looking for an internship in the fall of 2019. My professor Jeffrey Hirschberg pushed the idea of a letter writing campaign. The idea behind it is essentially writing and mailing a letter to different companies. Out of the letters sent, a good amount will get back to you. One recipient turned out to be a Buffalo native and loved the fact that I wrote to them. I instantly made an impression and was offered an internship at Broadway Video in New York City for the spring 2020 semester.

I was able to experience what it was like to live in the city. It was a new experience for me and I loved it; something about being in the city made me feel like I could do anything if I put my mind to it. In March, COVID hit and I was sent home to work remotely. Working during the pandemic really helped me stand out to them. I realized that what they needed from me was to be there and do a good job. Every project they gave me I did it above and beyond. I wanted them to know that they were a priority to me and I was going to be there for them during this confusing and difficult time. I think I succeeded in doing that.

Advice that I would like to give to students is, don’t be afraid to take risks. I could have easily not taken a risk with this internship and I wouldn’t have the experiences I do now. Another piece of advice I would give is, everything happens for a reason. It is really easy to approach the pandemic in a negative way and say things like, “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” However, it’s better to look at a situation and say, “This is happening, now let’s figure out why.” Going into any situation with a positive mindset will allow you to come out of it on top.

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