Diary of Intern Brittney Ruopp

Walking into the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau on day one of my internship, I was slightly nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I opened the front door and saw a room, dimly lit, wooden panels on the walls, the sound of classical music playing in the background, and the morning sunshine beaming through the tinted windows. The warmness of the atmosphere made me feel at ease. “Hi there”, says a smiling red-headed woman as she walks up to me. “How are you, what can I help you with?” I find out her name is Betty, the administrative assistant. She wasn’t expecting my arrival, but regardless, she asked me to sit down, make myself comfortable, and offered me a drink. At that point I felt at home and I knew I was definitely going to like it there. Betty is one of those women who you just instantly like; she’s charming, funny, sarcastic, and full of spunk. Then I meet Stephanie, the Director of Marketing and PR who I will be working closely with throughout my internship. She’s a sweet, witty blond who is extremely creative, passionate and determined. You know you have a cool boss when she tells you that you can work from home, stay in contact through Yahoo! Messenger, and that Facebook and Twitter are a necessary part of your job.

Working with Stephanie has opened my eyes to new experiences like shooting a viral video at the Library; the bar, not the one with books. Yes, in four hours on a Saturday afternoon, Stephanie, me, Southeast History professor Dr. Joel Rhodes, three SEMO film students (Coleman Bonze, Caleb Dunne and Ryan Bolinger), and three great student actresses (Kelli Wille, Casey Hinkebein and Amanda Carter) created four hilarious videos to promote the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival to students on campus.

As a graduate student studying Public Administration, most students like myself, don’t get the chance to write video scripts, lead meetings with campus organizations, or employ social media networks. In fact, nearly everything I’ve done has been a new experience and an opportunity to learn. This internship has given me the ability to make new connections on campus with organizations like Advertising Club, Photography Club, Capaha Arrow, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Alpha Phi Omega, and art and film students. They have been an integral part of getting the word out about this year’s Storytelling Festival. Planning for the festival coming up in April, there is a copious amount of work to do. I feel like the work I’m doing is meaningful and making an impact. I have no doubt that what I have learned in the past few months are skills that will help me land a great job when I graduate. Even better, working as an intern doesn’t feel like just another job—it’s fun. Every day has been something different, and for me, that is why I enjoy working with the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival. See you at the festival! Buy tickets my friends…