I have always thought communication is a key aspect in professionalism. It shows that a person cares enough to do the job/task right and also shows determination and passion towards the job. I have demonstrated communication throughout my internship at all times but especially during the photo shoot. If I was not given a job or my mentor had not talked to me in a while I would go up to either her or the producer of the shoot and ask if they needed help with anything or needed me to complete a task. I also communicated to ask for dates and times for everything. I never wanted to show up late or go to the location so I always made sure I asked and double checked whenever I had to meet my mentor anywhere. I wanted to improve and practice speaking up for myself. I feel like I have done that throughout the duration of my internship through the encouragement of the mentor. She has helped me speak up for myself and has provided me with the support to speak my mind and share my ideas. 

   In photography and media, communication plays a key role in relationships all the way to the sets and camera work in order for the team to express their ideas. I have seen communication throughout every process of my internship. A photoshoot is putting together a group of people’s ideas into something tangible. A business owner came to a group of photographers, directors, artists, creative directors, etc in order to make her brand stronger and reach a wider audience. And by doing that you have to make the client and the audience happy which takes communication. Every single detail is thought out and spoke about because so many pieces go into one photograph. One the first shoot day the models got over-whelmed by the amount of people yelling at them while shooting. My supervisor made a decision to consolidate all feedback from everyone to only two people. She showed me that communication also takes leadership and making sure everyone feels safe and comfortable. 

I definitely saw myself in an organization role. Since the photoshoot for Hiya Beauty was the most important part of my internship I wanted to make sure I was available for anything that anyone needed help with. I took props back and forth from the office, went flower shopping for one of the sets, gathered supplies for the camera crew, and also helped the talent with their wardrobe by styling them along with steaming their clothes and organizing their outfits. I did also get breakfast both days. I did enjoy doing all of this because photoshoots are very go go go for a while then there is rest time and it starts all over again so this allowed me to keep busy and help out wherever I could. I also had a creative role. I styled and directed one of the scenes which allowed me to play around with the sets and explore my creative side. I enjoyed both the creative and organizational part of the job. 

To be honest, there were many times when I felt welcomed but also forgotten. Photoshoots are so hectic that I was often pushed away, which I completely understood. I learned that I need to observe but from afar and if anyone needed me to hold a prop or grab them something I was close and still learning but not in the way. I would assert myself by talking to the video director, Miles. Miles and I had many conversations and it allowed me to assert myself in the sets and learn about the production process. I also really enjoyed the wardrobe process. The owner of Hiya Beauty and supervisor said they wanted a Gen Z opinion and came to me for a lot of things. I think I just inserted myself by simply being myself pushing for aspects I believed in while also being respectful and learning. 

 During my internship, a person who had beneficial insights was the producer Taylor. During the shoot there was some down time and my supervisor Ember, Taylor, and myself were talking about college and Taylor was telling me about some of the great programs that WKU has especially in my desired path, marketing. She offered me the opportunity to meet with one of her old professors who has created one of the best marketing programs in Kentucky. I truly appreciated that she saw enough potential in my work to offer her resources to me. In general, she was sharing all of her college experiences and how she has many people who she could get me in contact with to help with college in the near future which is greatly appreciated. 

As cheezy as it may be I gained gratitude. People could have completely written me off for being some random high school student who they have never seen before but they chose to accept me into their world so I could get a taste of what I could see myself doing in the future. With this I just wanted to be a helping hand for everyone no matter how big or small the task was. One of the days I was unloading very heavy boxes from my car in the heat for about 40 minutes and the walk was not short to and from my car but I never complained or asked for help. All these people went out of their way to help me and this was one of the ways I was trying to return the favor. It has been very important to me to show that this experience matters to me no matter what the circumstances are. 

My supervisor for this internship is actually my stepmom's sister which makes her my family. Keeping in contact will not be hard at all because I see Ember all the time. I told Ember I would love to help out with any shoots they need extra help with or anything at the office. This will allow me to continue to see some of the people I worked with like the producer Taylor. Ember and Taylor were the two people who I worked with the most. But I also worked with Maddison who was the art director. I have the contact information from many people at Spark which allows me to reach out to them and along with them reaching out to me if they ever need anything. 

It is never ok to create a toxic environment because people will leave. Spark ensures safety and belonging for everyone. I met a group of people where no one was the same. Every person had their own style and beliefs that made them unique and most important. The different perspectives that everyone was able to offer is why this project was so special and went very smoothly. There were no major problems and everything always had a solution. All the staff members understood the company's mission and not only followed it but lived by it. They are all so extremely welcoming of any new and different person they meet and are so enthusiastic towards the models. Energy radiates off of each other which allows such a positive, laughter filled atmosphere. Embodying the brand's mission was never hard for anyone because everyone was filled with the positivity and values to fulfill the order. 

I knew walking into this I was going to be the only intern this summer. I was definitely scared and felt intimidated. I have said a couple times throughout that being a young teenage girl can often be the biggest turn off for many people. I do not even have to do anything but the fact that I am young people automatically judge me for it. Being the only person under the age of 21 revealed feelings of nervousness, like I didn’t belong. And at many times I felt like I was in the way and could have been creating problems because my foot was in frame in some of the pictures or I was holding a prop wrong. Being a kid around a group of adults is scary and it is hard to find a sense of belonging because no matter what I was standing out. But I tried to overcome this by providing a youthful insight into the project. Since I am a teenager, I know what is trendy and in style more than others which allowed me to stand out in a positive way rather than a negative way. People valued my opinion but no matter what I always felt like I was a bit of an imposter. 

I feel like SHA enforces the four core values so much because it provides a sense of belonging to everyone, something all 900 students have in common. This experience has allowed me to feel differently about the core values. I always thought it was a little stupid the amount of times our teachers mention the core values but now I see why. Core values create an outline for how people should be treated. They allow growth, new experiences, and most importantly respect. The core values are important and I see that now. 

Leveraging technology ethically means solving problems in a fair and honest way. One of the tips I learned is that everyone is praying for a smooth shoot. It was supposed to rain one of the days production was supposed to be outside which meant the plans for that day were in jeopardy. The team found a way to work around this through communication and transparency. If a person is not honest, nothing will be fixed which is why being ethical is extremely important. I think this also means protecting your work. Spark's whole job is to make the client which means they are not only in charge of media but also keep that media safe and protect it from misusage. Along with that, it is also important to make sure the technology does not burn out. Having the right amount of storage, hard drives, and making sure the equipment did not overheat was essential to making sure everything and everyone was safe. 

As an intern I knew my job was not going to make a significant difference but I know I made a difference in someone's day by helping them reduce some stress and making a situation less hectic. This role taught me I can still make even a small difference in a room full of people way older than me. This internship has been an amazing experience. I learned so much about the career field I wish to pursue in future and study in college. I am grateful for the opportunity that Ember gave me and all the new and helpful experiences I got the pleasure of learning from.