By Aaliyah Hunt, Eiteljorg marketing and communications summer intern

Aaliyah Hunt, marketing and communications intern

As I grew up, I thought I always knew what I wanted to do in life. I went to college believing I was going to graduate and work in movies and/or television, but it wasn’t the case. After I graduated, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a video editor any more. I had two previous internships that showcased my work, but it didn’t feel enough to me. Changing careers seemed like the worst possible scenario. I’m forever grateful that the Eiteljorg gave me a chance to prove what I knew I could do as a Marketing and Communications intern.

Working as an intern at the Eiteljorg Museum during this past summer has been amazing. After quickly learning WordPress software, I was able to add and edit the museum website content to keep it up to date on events, and prepare for the upcoming Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale. For the Summer Under The Sails concert series, I had the responsibility of the social media and video content management. During the past month, I was able to create the e-newsletters every week, a type of creative assignment I had never done before.

The Eiteljorg is one big loving team. From interns and volunteers to the CEO, everyone is appreciated and contributes so much heart to the museum. I met most of the staff members who all were crucial parts of the museum. We would talk about their life experiences and choices they made to work in a place they love. It was great hearing their perspectives, and that helped me come closer to what I wanted to do.

Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to create all this amazing content to share to social media pages, the website or the e-newsletters. I always had people I could go to when I had a question, and the Eiteljorg was one of the most comfortable working environments I had the pleasure of experiencing. Leaving this internship is bittersweet to me because it has helped me grow so much professionally within such a short time span. Not only has it help me add to my portfolio, but it helped me understand more about what I want to do as I launch my career.

I’m proud to say that I will be continuing my education for a master’s degree in Public Relations at Ball State University this fall. I plan to utilize their programs and opportunities to better myself in digital communications, social media, and promotions/advertising. Without the Eiteljorg, I do not believe I would have made this decision to pursue a master’s degree, and I wouldn’t know where I would be today. By the time I complete my degree, I will look back on everything that guided me to that point. This internship will definitely be at the top of that list.