Hi Central Communication Agency family,
My name is Gil Martinez and I am beyond excited to kick off the first blog of the school year! I can’t believe I’m entering my final year at Central Washington University as a public relations major, and I’m even more thrilled to hold the position of co-director alongside the amazing Benita Jangala. This year holds so much promise, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for all of us.
As I reflect on my summer, I wanted to share a little about my incredible internship experience, which I’m still working on remotely as a co-op. I had the amazing opportunity to intern as a public relations/communications intern with Bechtel Corp. at the Hanford Vitrification Plant in Richland, Washington. For those who might not know, the Vit Plant is a massive, groundbreaking project focused on treating nuclear waste. It’s all about safely transforming radioactive waste into glass to protect the environment and future generations—a monumental and inspiring mission!
During my time there, I met some fantastic people and learned so much from talented professionals. This was my very first internship, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. One of the best parts was meeting another communications intern, Michael Williams, who attends Washington State University. We became great friends, and together we came up with tons of creative ideas for the communications team. A highlight was our work on the Hanford Vit Plant’s Instagram (@hanfordvitplant—go check it out!) where we helped boost its presence. We even created fun “Meet the Interns” videos that were a big hit both in the office and on social media.
This internship gave me a fantastic opportunity to improve my skills in areas I was eager to work on, like video editing and writing. I got hands-on experience creating progress stories for our internal newsletter, and, honestly, going in, I thought writing was my biggest weakness. But by the end of the summer, I feel so much more confident. So after reading this, what do you all think? Let me know in the comments!
Most importantly, this internship gave me an inside look at corporate work life and helped me grow as both a professional and a leader. I’ve learned lessons that I hope to bring back into our work with CCA and my life in general. It’s been such an enriching experience, and I’m grateful for the growth and connections I’ve made along the way.
Thanks so much for reading! I’m looking forward to an amazing year with all of you. Let’s make it our best one yet!
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