Name: Stephanie

Year: Senior

Major(s): Psychology

Minor(s): Global Health, Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate

CFS Concentration: Public Health

When I signed up for the Field Studies in Public Health concentration last Spring, I never would have imagined I would be working for the branded content division of one of the largest brand communications groups in the world, LiquidThread. I wanted to explore health marketing or health communications, so I applied to a few healthcare/public health firms. I stuck LiquidThread on at the end on a whim, not knowing anything about the media and entertainment industry at all.

As the company’s only intern this quarter (there is usually a team of 3-4 interns), I have had the privilege of getting to touch a huge variety of different client accounts and learn the ins and outs of the marketing and advertising industry while better understanding how LiquidThread functions within Starcom. My supervisors and coworkers have been amazing resources to me as I navigate my way through the often confusing industry, and have assigned me substantial work that allows me to actually impact the client accounts I work with. I had been told repeatedly during the interview and on-boarding process that the company really trusts its interns with real work–I’ve never had a day when I was bored out of my mind just getting coffee for my supervisors–and I feel like everything I work on in a day is a meaningful contribution to a client account. My main tasks have consisted of researching relevant industry statistics/trends/insights for use in presentations, scouring Twitter and Facebook to analyze competitors’ social media presence, and sitting in on meetings and brainstorms, both internal and client-facing.

While I was initially worried about how my internship experience would correlate with our class discussions about public health, the course material and instruction have opened my eyes to how truly applicable public health concepts are to everyday life. With the unique combination of my internship and concentration experience, I have been able to realize a passion for the industry that I am excited to explore.

Six weeks into my internship, I have had a wonderful experience and have learned so much about the company and the industry at large. I only hope to expand that knowledge in the weeks to come and am eager to start my career in the marketing industry!