What was your internship job title?
Social Media Coordinator, No Menthol Movement Atlanta
Assistant to Adina Black, Senior Consultant, CCPH
What is your HBCU?
Clark Atlanta University
What is your college major?
Psychology
How did you find this internship?
My professor, a clinical psychologist, sent the flyer to us through Canvas. I have taken several of her classes. I had just completed my social justice course. I believed this was the perfect opportunity for me because I aspire to get involved in the field of social justice. So, I applied immediately.
Where are these internships located?
CCPH is a virtual organization based in Durham, NC. The projects they assigned me to work on were located in Atlanta, Georgia and North Carolina. Meanwhile, I was at home in Miami for the summer break enjoying nature during my downtime.
How long was your internship?
At the start of my internship with CCPH in June, it was only intended for me to work with my assigned coalition until August. However, during our first meeting with the internship coordinators, I made it known that I was interested in research. I believe my demonstration of drive and commitment to one CCPH project I was working on led to an offer for an opportunity to take on a second internship with CCPH. At the time, I already had two internships—one with CCPH and another with a clinic providing behavioral health services. I had to consider if I would have the time, energy, and motivation to complete three internships in one summer. The only answer that I could come up with was that I absolutely can. I invite you to read my first blog to find out how that unfolds.
What were your duties as an intern?
1st CCPH Internship: I was assigned to a Tobacco Coalition by CCPH. My responsibilities included running an 8-week social media campaign.
2nd CCPH Internship: I collected and analyzed public health statistics using Excel and Qualtrics software. I accumulated resources for non-profit organizations. I am still actively recruiting organizations for the Coalition.
Accomplishments
My Coalition assignment was to the H.E.A.R.T. Coalition of Atlanta. They are dedicated to educating underserved communities about the risks of drugs and alcohol. In August of 2020, they created the No Menthol Movement ATL, which aims to prevent predatory marketing tactics to Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. A priority for the Coalition is to engage youth. I was in charge of directing the social media activity for the web page. In three months, I increased the engagement of youth on the page by 30%.
My assistantship role with Adina Black, Senior Consultant of CCPH was to aid with the NC I-Team Coalition. This Coalition consists of small organizations in North Carolina that focus on underrepresented communities. We work to offer them resources they need to assist the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. An issue these non-profits were having is access to find credible resources for COVID-19 vaccination information. I worked with another intern to compile a repository of data about the COVID-19 pandemic, including; images, videos, pdfs, PowerPoints and more. Organization leaders are able to put in requests for what they need; and the information is sent directly to them.
What do you think was your most significant accomplishment?
My most significant accomplishment was to create a strategy chart for the No Menthol Movement ATL. This strategy chart helped me plan and run the social media campaign effectively. My template is being used currently by the intern who took over the page. I learned how to create strategy charts in my Social Justice class. The social media campaign (@blackwomenmobile) we created in 2020 for Black women is still running and will hopefully continue to run each semester in the Social Justice course. During the social media campaign my classmates and I directed for the course, my professor really enjoyed our work and invited me to host a presentation to her current class. I also invited my supervisor for the No Menthol Movement ATL campaign to speak with my peers as well.
What was your favorite part of the internship?
I enjoyed a lot of things during my internship. The experience that impacted me the most was the opportunity to expand my circle of influence by connecting with people across the country. Before the pandemic, I did not utilize technology to network with people across the country. During the summer I was back home in Miami, yet I was communicating with people in Atlanta, North Carolina, Seattle and more. It affirmed that I am not limited to the circumstances in my environment. Things may seem bad around you, but if you maintain peace within yourself, you will be able to overcome any obstacle. This made me realize that there are so many opportunities I am unaware of. I first had to expand my mind and think greater than my present reality so that I can be ready to receive those opportunities.
How do you think your internship helped prepare you professionally?
My internships prepared me professionally by allowing me to work independently. This internship strengthened my consistency and accountability because they were all work from home. It also taught me how to network, because I was able to continue all of my internships into the Fall. However, I realized that you should not overload yourself with work. You should always have time for yourself, at least 30 minutes to an hour throughout your day. So, I did end up having to leave my internship with the behavioral clinic; however, they are an amazing practice. During my time with them, I learned the ins and outs of running a private practice, and it was also my first positive work environment. I was very saddened that I had to leave. But it was for my mental health and ultimately my decision made me wiser. My number one tip in life is to ensure that you always have a balance so that you are able to function at your highest level of capability every day. I am currently still interning at CCPH as we transition into new projects and improve our current ones. Each month I will be taking you all along with me during my internship journey. I invite you to subscribe to stay up to date. Some of the topics you can look forward to are tips on how to succeed during your internship, maintaining your mental health and having a balance between work, academic and social life.
If you would like to get connected with my previous internships, I will leave all that information below.
- If you are in need of therapy in the state of Georgia, they offer individual, couples, and family counseling that ranges from $50-$90. You can conduct a free consultation by clicking the “Book Now” tab on www.thehardyclinic.com.
- If you would like to get involved with the H.E.A.R.T. Coalition, the call to action is to email 📧 nmm-atl@heartcoalition.com and express your interest.
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