My internship at Our Lady of the Fields Camp and Retreat Center has given me great experience in both the marketing and management fields. The most rewarding part of my internship was being able to connect with so many people through the camp’s social media and seeing their positive responses to the pictures and videos I posted. I also emailed hundreds of people, such as priests, youth ministers, school principals, and sports coaches, to recruit groups to come to OLF, and we were able to recruit multiple groups from these emails. It was very rewarding for me to see how much of a difference my work has made for the camp. Additionally, managing groups at the camp was a rewarding experience because it helped me grow in confidence, both as a manager and in general. Knowing each day that staff members were looking to me for leadership and direction led me to be more decisive.
The most challenging part of my internship was communicating with people of all ages because not all audiences register well with some communication forms, so making sure I am getting camp’s message out to all audiences was a lengthy daily process. That communication challenge could also extend to managing the staff at times, as it could be difficult to keep everyone on the same page, especially when plans are constantly updating and evolving in a fast-paced setting, like at camp. I had to learn to be flexible and responsible when it comes to communicating. Overall, my internship at OLF was a great experience, and I am excited to apply the skills and lessons I learned in my career.
Maria Hickey
Business Administration