Settling Into Sophomore Year

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The summer after my freshman year was a busy one for sure. And although I spent three months away from campus, UMass traveled with me and proved to me that I had made the right decision in coming here. 

Without UMass, I would not have had the knowledge and experience to get my dream internship. Before coming to Amherst, I did not know how to send a professional email, nor did I have a LinkedIn account. My resume was incomplete and full of errors. However, my Isenberg Transitions Seminar taught me how to fix all of these problems along with how to present myself in the best way possible to prospective employers. It was with these tools that I approached the New Bedford Light, an independent news startup, and managed to get the position of Marketing Intern.

Once I got the job, I was tasked with developing a plan to start the official TikTok account for the company. This would have been a daunting task to me only a year earlier, but because of my experience inside and outside of class, I was eager to get started. Thanks to my introductory business and economics classes I understood the value of a brand and how to maximize its potential. I am not a very tech-savvy person but because of the time I spent in the Isenberg Marketing Club, I had a much better understanding of social media marketing and felt confident in my ability to represent my generation’s interests.

When I was not working, I was overjoyed to find time to meet up with new friends that I made during the school year. As a Massachusetts resident, I was only a short drive away from most of my UMass friends, so it could not be much easier to visit or host them. My favorite pastime, though, was meeting a group of UMass friends in Boston to get dinner or catch a Red Sox Game. I even closed out my summer with another massive highlight of visiting a friend in Los Angeles, where he taught me how to surf.

Through all the productivity and the fun, though, I longed to return to campus. I missed being able to walk everywhere I needed to go. I yearned for the beautiful sunsets over the Berkshires. I was disappointed to learn that most sushi restaurants cannot match the quality of a Smoked Salmon Roll from Hampshire Dining Hall. So now that I am back, even after a great summer, I could not be happier.