From Learning to Earning: Julia’s Internship Journey

An internship this semester in RIC’s Office of College Communications and Marketing led to a paid part-time position for marketing major Julia Rocha.

This unique opportunity appeared after she auditioned for and won a spot on “The College Tour,” a popular Amazon Prime Video series that explores life at colleges throughout the country through the eyes of real students. Rocha was one of 10 students featured on the RIC College Tour episode.

During the filming of her segment, she met the executive director of external relations and communications for Rhode Island College, Jeanette St. Pierre, and RIC’s director of communications and PR, John Taraborelli, who work in the Office of College Communications and Marketing. She was told to give them a call if she ever needed an internship. Rocha followed up and one door led to another.

In the six months she’s worked in the marketing office, Rocha has amassed a wealth of skill-building experiences from members of the staff.

“Jeanette assigned projects for me to work on and mentored me,” Rocha says. “John was also a mentor and someone I’d go to if I needed direction.

“Carrie Miller, director of Web communications, taught me consistency in branding.

“Ashley Mercado, the graphic communications specialist, taught me the basics of graphic design. She showed me how to size photos, the difference between print and digital photos and how to make a layout aesthetically pleasing.”

“Julia is a sponge,” Mercado says. “It’s nice to work with someone who’s genuinely interested in learning and picks things up right away. It’s also nice to see someone who wants to continue to build on the knowledge they’ve gained, which is what you need in design. Julia was a pleasure.”

Taraborelli agrees. “Julia has proven herself to be very valuable,” he says. “She’s eager to learn and a self-starter, who always finds a way to contribute. I think she’s helped nearly every single person in this office.”

As an intern, Rocha worked on “assets” for the office’s various marketing campaigns. “Assets” are any items that a company uses to educate the public about its products or to promote its services or brand. These assets can be physical, such as brochures, or digital, such as Web content.

One of the assignments Rocha had was to take an informational graphic created by Mercado  promoting the new RIC Safe app and leverage it for marketing materials, posters, TV screen digital ads, etc. 

“I love the creativity involved in marketing,” she says, “and I’ve gained so much knowledge and experience of what it’s like to work in a real office on real projects.”

Though this was Rocha’s first experience in a professional marketing environment – it wasn’t, technically, her first rodeo.

For the past four years, the 22-year-old has been helping her dad with the marketing of their family business – After 5 Party Rentals. Located in East Providence, After 5 rents tents, chairs, tables and other party accessories for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other events. 

“When I first started working with my dad, I didn’t have much marketing knowledge because I had just started school, so I was mostly learning through trial and error and figuring out what worked,” she says.

“When I started taking my marketing courses, I learned how important the strategy behind what you do really is. For example, it’s important to identify a target audience, build a recognizable brand and plan content more intentionally.

“When I began working in the communications office, I learned how marketing works on a larger scale with the different campaigns I was a part of. I also learned a lot about working in a collaborative, team environment.

“The staff members I’ve worked with have been the best part of this experience. They’re so eager to help me, and they answer any questions I have. What stood out to me most was how excited they were for me when I worked on a project with them. It means so much to me because it makes me feel valued. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so much.”

Postgraduation, Rocha intends to devote more time to the family business and to continue to work part-time in RIC’s Office of Communications and Marketing.

Her advice to those considering an internship:

“A professor once told me, ‘Your network is your net worth.’ Talk to your professors and to the people in your class. A lot of the time, your professors are still active in the industry they’re teaching. They know people. I’d say talk to them first, then see what your classmates are doing. See what opportunities are out there.”

As far as students who may be considering a marketing degree at RIC, she says, “I honestly loved my time here. There’s just a different level of education here. The teachers care about you. They know your name and they celebrate your wins. When I got this internship, a lot of my professors were so happy for me and we still talk about it.”

Learn more about RIC’s Marketing B.S. program.