Tag: student

Meet Lindsey, Clairemont Intern

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Fashion has been something that has always captured my attention. From the time my mom gave me a purse that read “I Love Shoes” for Christmas to my very first designer anything, I’ve been obsessed and completely infatuated with the culture and creativity behind the fashion industry.

As I grew up, I soon realized that I, unfortunately, didn’t inherit the artist gene that basically every other member of my family had. So I quickly had to consider and learn other areas of the fashion industry that I could pursue.

Having moved to Asheville, North Carolina from New Jersey made me realize some key changes in the culture around me, especially within fashion. It taught me a lot about how to pursue a dream and stay true to what you believe in although it may be challenging when faced with criticism from your peers.

Then, during my sophomore year of high school, I got the opportunity to tour Diane von Furstenberg’s corporate headquarters. I knew right then that I wanted nothing more than to work in the fashion industry and decided fashion journalism was the path I wanted to take.

A Change of Pace

After spending countless hours honing my reporting skills through high school and into my freshman year of college, I came to the conclusion that the journalism industry wasn’t a fit. I switched from studying reporting to PR and haven’t regretted a single second of pursuing a career in this industry.

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern and live in New York City, which has always been the city of my dreams. I’m pretty positive it took me all summer to even realize I was actually living out my dream in my dream city. It taught me an incredible amount about PR in general but, more importantly, about my own drive and work ethic. Diving right in to an industry in a brand new city is hard, but I can’t even begin to describe how valuable an experience like that is for a young professional.

Why I Love the PR Industry

I think that the PR industry has so much room for creativity, and how dependent it is on person-to-person interaction isn’t something you find in every career. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and most importantly, it’s important; after dipping my toes into my first internship, I took away the idea that really every brand or client relies on the work PR practitioners establish. Everything from social media to traditional news articles are intertwined and codependent, thanks to the work that goes in from the PR side.

Now after returning back to my second home at UNC-Chapel Hill, I have been able to understand so much more about why I love PR. I am so excited to continue working with it while interning at Clairemont Communications this semester.

Written by Lindsey Hoover, junior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

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At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s first-year orientation, students meet with an academic advisor to discuss what they hope to study at the university (and, by extension, pursue for the rest of their lives). Unfortunately, this meeting was a stressful experience for a rising first-year student who had no idea what she wanted to study.

An Undecided Start

With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performs the title role in the spring 2014 production of "Cinderella."
With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performing the title role in the spring 2014 production of “Cinderella.”

In high school, I had lots of interests: English literature and writing, environmental science, theater, psychology … even some parts of chemistry were fun. My interests were extensive, but I wasn’t ready to commit to any of them. I received very mixed messages due to my uncertainty. Wise adults (mainly family members) assured me that it’s completely normal to enter into college undecided and that I would figure it out in time.

Elizabeth's orientation group poses for a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.
Elizabeth’s orientation group during a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.

These words of reassurance were directly opposed on that fateful orientation day in that unpleasant academic advising meeting when I sat with a girl who knew exactly what she wanted to study before attending one class. As she talked with the advisor while I patiently waited my turn, I couldn’t help but envy her situation. She spoke with such confidence in what she would study, and the advisor neatly and excitedly outlined her next four years. When it was my turn, I stammered awkwardly that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, and the advisor similarly stammered that I could focus on getting my general education requirements out of the way first.

I left the meeting feeling discouraged and frustrated. I turned to the girl with whom I shared the meeting, and I asked her what exactly her intended major was, since I had never heard of it before. Basically, she explained to me, public relations is the clean-up crew for when a company has a crisis. I felt shocked to learn of the existence of such a field, and I felt intrigued by the wide variety of classes that encompassed the public relations major – history, political science, economics, journalism. Little did I know that day I became (very informally) introduced to what is now my passion.

A Deepened Relationship

Elizabeth discusses her work as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC to fellow students at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.
Elizabeth as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.

Since that orientation day over three years ago, my relationship with public relations has deepened rapidly and dramatically. I declared the major in my second semester after taking an introductory journalism class and speaking to professors about this mysterious field. Through the award-winning UNC School of Media and Journalism and its dedicated faculty, I learned the rules, practices, materials and importance of the field. My sophomore year, I worked as a communications intern for an advocacy non-profit for bicycling and walking, and the next year I experienced the fast-paced nature of a public relations agency, juggling projects for diverse clients ranging from restaurants to healthcare providers. Every experience in and out of the classroom affirmed for me that I had made the right decision. I found something I was good at and enjoyed doing.

Public Relations and I: An unexpected match 

Reflecting on my academic life at UNC-CH, I’m glad that my path to finding public relations was a process and not a pre-determined script. I allowed myself to explore the field, which made my choice to pursue it all the more thoughtful and rewarding. As I’m still the girl who has an interest in so many things, I take comfort and joy in knowing that public relations will allow me to follow any of those interests. To every field I explore, I aim to bring the public relations skills I’ve acquired to help build stronger, better organizations, whether they’re in theater, education, environmental issues … but maybe not chemistry this time.

Written by Clairemont intern, Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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Meet Binh, Clairemont Intern

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Who’s Binh?

When you search the name “Binh,” you’ll find, when translated from Vietnamese, that it means peaceful. Growing up, I always strived to emulate the meaning of my name. I’ve learned to live simply, so that others around me can simply live — creating a peaceful environment to work and play.

Once upon a time…

I was born in the Land of Enchantment of Albuquerque, New Mexico. I grew up with one entertaining older brother and one snazzy older sister, leaving me to be the baby of the bunch. Because my family is from Vietnam, I know three languages – English, Vietnamese and French.

In a farm far, far away…

Growing up, I participated in any and every activity that I could. I found my passion in acting, singing, gymnastics, dancing, piano and so much more! At age 10, I moved to the Beautiful State of Alabama, where my dad introduced me to the lifestyle of his dreams on a farm. Going into high school, I made many friendships that are still close to my heart.

By senior year of high school, after the process of applying to colleges, I made my final decision to attend Auburn University where I am studying Public Relations.

When they say college is the best four years of your life, they weren’t lying. Auburn has taught me so much, including the importance of hard work, determination and a kind and caring heart. College has challenged me to live outside of my comfort zone and to embrace the unknown.

Now, I have a heart that yearns for traveling. I once took a spontaneous trip to Chicago for a week with no prior plans or itinerary.

In college, I found some new passions in social media, blogging, fashion and traveling. I became a lover of big cities, all things pink, pineapples and kale. I also discovered that I am an ENFP to a T.

My work ethic throughout college has grown. I have become a mature and diligent young woman, who is determined to do her best in everything she sets out to do. However, coming to the end of college, I am expected to know exactly what I am supposed to do with my life. Somewhere along the process of figuring that out, I ended up at Clairemont Communications in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Now, why Raleigh, North Carolina? How in the world did I go from New Mexico to Alabama to North Carolina? And how was I able to land an internship with Clairemont Communications miles away from my home state? Well, the answer is simple and can be summed up with these four words: determination, persistence, connection and relationship.

It may seem like a bold move for me to come to Raleigh, a city I’ve never visited, just for a couple months; however, 18-year-old Binh was not afraid to make that first bold move.

I had the courage to introduce myself to Dana Phelps Hughens, CEO of Clairemont Communications, when I was home in Huntsville, Alabama, at a local Starbucks. Little did I know that she was the CEO, but I was adamant on keeping in contact with her throughout my college career in hopes for a future opportunity with her agency.

I was determined and persistent when it came to reaching out to her because I wanted to maintain that connection and relationship. If there is anything I learned about PR, it is to make as many connections with people as possible and then build those connections into long-lasting relationships.

With that in mind, I did my best to keep Dana updated with my schooling and experiences. Close to the end of my junior year of college, I reached back out to her regarding an internship opportunity. The rest is history.

Now, here I am in the capital of North Carolina, the City of Oaks. I’ve learned that it is good to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Coming to Raleigh without knowing anything or what will happen will definitely be an adventure that I’ll hold close to my heart. As I continue my journey here at Clairemont Communications, I will strive to make the world a better and more peaceful place.

Written by Binh Nguyen, rising senior at Auburn University.

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Clairemont Welcomes UNC Intern with Variety of Previous PR Internships

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Meet Callie Henson, joining us from the beautiful campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is studying PR. While we’d really like to tell you more, we don’t want to steal her thunder! We hope you enjoy hearing about where she was before she started her internship here at a Raleigh PR agency.

Say hello to Callie Henson, our newest intern!

When I came to UNC, I knew I wanted to study in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The field has always interested me, and after my first public relations course, I knew this was the profession for me.

Now that I am a senior at UNC and a profession in the real world awaits, I’ve realized it is my different experiences in PR that will help me stand out in the crowd of recent graduates. From interning at local North Carolina agencies (including my internship right here at a Raleigh public relations agency!) to chairing the public relations and outreach committee of UNC’s student government, I feel like I am gaining a wide variety of experience while I am still in school. My past summer interning in New York City especially opened up my eyes to the possibilities in PR.

Every single day during my internship in NYC, I learned something new and usually witnessed a supervisor or two learning a new skill or concept, as well. From strategy for new business pitches to audience profile research, there is always something new to discover.

I love how in PR you can work for so many different kinds of clients. Every company needs good publicity, and the opportunities are endless. I love how when starting a new internship I get to not only learn more about different public relations practices, but I also get to learn more about different professions around the world.

I want to continue to learn as much as I can before I graduate and be ready to be thrown any assignment or into any situation, and thrive. I’m going to continue to ask questions, continue to network and make connections, continue to be curious and continue to volunteer for any and all tasks. What I have learned from my internships in PR is to never let an opportunity pass – you never know where it could take you!

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