This week didn’t include any formal assignments, but we did have our introductory training session. On January 26, we had the opportunity to meet everyone in the Marketing department and get a comprehensive overview of what would be expected of us throughout the internship.

The session covered key responsibilities, workflows, and best practices, which helped clarify how we would contribute to the team. We also had the chance to discuss our personal goals for the internship and share any ideas or projects we were interested in pursuing. It was a great way to start building connections and setting intentions for the months ahead.

The week of January 20 marked our precursor to the official start of the internship. While our internship placements were nearly finalized, many of the logistical details were still being worked out. Formal training was scheduled for Sunday, but as a preview of the kind of work we’d be doing, we were invited to join the MLK March to shadow Rodrigo, our lead photographer and videographer.

This opportunity gave us a firsthand look at the expectations for both professional conduct and content collection—particularly for producing “recap”-style videos. I got to observe how Rodrigo approached capturing key moments and how he interacted with subjects while staying in the background.

One highlight for me was getting the chance to use a gimbal for the first time. I hadn’t expected it to be so heavy, but it was a great introduction to the tools we’d be working with throughout the internship. Overall, the experience gave me valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes process and helped set the tone for what was to come.

This week at my internship was relatively relaxed in terms of workload but still productive. One of the highlights was the opportunity to begin rolling out one of my most significant projects to our team, gathering content for an upcoming long-form commentary series featuring student stories from Stetson. With the project name and production list already in place, the final step is collecting the stories themselves—an exciting phase that I am eager to dive into.

Additionally, I worked on a short-form video and photography content for the Ice Cream Walk hosted by the SDCV. This project was particularly interesting because it required a different creative approach. Unlike my previous work, which often focused on a cinematic style, this video embraced a more lighthearted and humorous tone. Adjusting my mindset to capture shots in a fun and engaging way was a unique challenge, but it ultimately expanded my creative perspective.

As I move forward, I’m looking forward to starting production on my long-form project and continuing to develop my skills in different styles of media.