With summer coming to a close last week, I realized just how much I am going to miss being a student here at the University of Illinois, no matter what time of year. During the summer months, college students return home, and campus is nearly empty. My routine walks each day to my internship became more and more peaceful. It was like I had revealed a side of C-U that I had never quite seen before, or at least appreciated.Â
My internship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign made this opportunity possible. While I currently live off-campus alongside my younger sister, I spent the majority of my time this summer on-campus, gaining additional experience that will one day set me up for success as an Advertising professional.Â
Through my role as a Marketing and Communications intern for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, I was able to continue working in person over the summer, which allowed me to maintain a weekly routine. From Monday through Thursday, I woke up bright and early at 6:30 AM (willing btw… I pick my own hours), got ready for the day and headed to the bus stop near my apartment. I really enjoyed getting my steps in each morning and having something to do each day. It left me feeling both productive and fulfilled.
While at my internship, I sat in on staff meetings, designed flyers for the department and the various programs we offer, scheduled content for our social media pages, and wrote a few news stories here and there. I even got to work on a few alumni-focused projects, which proved to be really rewarding. I think this opened my eyes to all of the different possibilities available to me as an Advertising major and Public Relations minor. I also used this time to work on my graphic design skills, which have never come easily to me. But, after many hours behind the computer and clicking away at InDesign or Photoshop, I can proudly say that I am getting somewhere.Â
But don’t worry, my summer wasn’t just all work. I had some fun too. After each day at my internship, I frequented my apartment’s pool and spent the remainder of my day swimming or tanning. While my sister worked nights at the hospital, this was about the only time we saw each other each day, so we made the most of it! Â
While I had some extra downtime, I was able to visit my hometown on numerous occasions, celebrating my 21st birthday, continuing the tradition of visiting our local fair, and spending time with my family out on the water. It was a summer full of making memories, ones that I will always remember. It’s definitely different not being “home” over the summer, but to me, Champaign-Urbana feels like home.Â
As I enter my senior year here at the University of Illinois, I am excited for what’s to come. So many memories to make in such a short amount of time!Â