My name is Ariana and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I will be a rising sophomore at the University of Evansville located in Evansville, Indiana. I am majoring in Creative Writing, and I enjoy learning and expressing my creativity.
This summer, I began my first summer internship. I am excited that it is with Enhanced DNA Publishing since my major is Creative Writing. My role as a Publishing Assistant is to support the Founder/CEO, Denola Burton, and the authors she works with. As an intern at Enhanced DNA Publishing, I hope to gain communication, time management, and problem-solving skills. I also want to be open to learning and receiving feedback.
I believe that my internship is uncommon because it is remote. As a result, being remote has pushed me to improve my accountability. Working remotely has been rewarding and tricky to balance. Balancing my schedule and holding myself accountable to complete tasks has been somewhat challenging.
When I began my internship, the tasks seemed daunting and it took me some time to get acclimated. Although I was aware of the given assignments, I struggled to make a game plan to achieve my goals. In order to overcome the setback I decided to use a planner to create a list for my priorities. Creating a list has helped me to be committed to completing my goals in a timely manner.
My current role as an intern is to complete various projects in order to assist and advance the company and the authors. Some of my projects consist of using platforms to create social media content, tracking publishing information using Excel sheets, and communicating with potential and current authors. One specific project was called “Wonderful Women Wednesday”. “Wonderful Women Wednesday” is content created to highlight and motivate women. For the “Wonderful Women Wednesday,” social media posts, I searched and provided motivational quotes that will be posted on Enhanced DNA Publishing's social media on Wednesdays. In addition to finding the quotes, I learned how to use a new tool, Canva, to create graphics for those quotes. In addition to doing projects for “Wonderful Women Wednesday”, I used Excel spreadsheets to update and organize information for authors. Prior to the internship, I had no experience using Canva and no experience using Excel sheets. During the beginning stages of this internship where I was tasked with maintaining author information, I struggled to understand how to navigate Excel sheets. With time and practice, I soon learned how to be more comfortable with using Excel sheets.
Indulging in an internship takes courage, and discipline. I’m constantly learning that exposure, failure, and new experiences are all part of the process of self-development. I realize that despite one’s role, consistency is key and admirable in and outside the workforce. I'm learning that not only does consistency benefit an individual in the workforce but can improve one’s relationships.
As a part of this internship, I believe that gaining transferable skills and networking will set me up to be successful in the future. Internships are learning opportunities that can help individuals gain experience and explore their interests. All of this provides me an opportunity to build my professional brand. Building my professional brand is very important to me. I believe that building upon these skills will help benefit me in mastering my emotional intelligence in college and in my future endeavors.
The opportunity to intern at Enhanced DNA Publishing has impacted me by pushing me to evolve and adapt as a person. Thank you, Enhanced DNA Publishing!
Ariana is from Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from North Central High School in 2022. She lives with her parents and younger brother in Indianapolis. She will be a rising sophomore attending the University of Evansville. Ariana is majoring in Creative Writing and she enjoys reading and writing. Since 2020, she has been affiliated with The Center For Leadership Development; an organizations that offers professional and educational opportunities for the youth in Indianapolis. Ariana is passionate about dedicating her time towards community involvement. She has volunteered for organizations to relieve the youth of food insecurity, and provide school supplies and clothing to underserved children. Ariana is an aspiring author and hopes to continue to grow and gain professional experience.
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