Category Archives: Internship Spotlight

Apr 04 2016
Internship Spotlight

Internship Spotlight: Meghan Enzinna

Meghan Enzinna, a Junior Communication Studies major at Longwood University, is currently working alongside Dr. Laura Farrell as a part of her research internship within the Communication Studies department. The research that Meghan is conducting is specifically looking at nonverbal haptics, which for her research includes displays of affection and aggressive touch amongst children with disabilities and adults during their play time in the pool.

“I have always been around children with disabilities, so I want to learn more about that and I’ve always had a knack for non-verbal communication and understanding that, so we put them together,” Enzinna said.

Growing up, Meghan worked as a babysitter and found that a lot of the children she was taking care of had varying forms of disabilities that ranged from ADHD to Autism. Her experiences grew in to an interest and has helped her to try and learn more on the subject. Through her observations of play time, Meghan’s goal is to better understand what families can do to communicate more effectively with children who are disabled.

“I think this study will help adults see how they can better their communication towards their children so it’s not a hit and miss or a good day or a bad day because they’ll be able to know how to talk to their kids.”
– Meghan Enzinna

With Dr. Farrell’s guidance, Meghan has begun her observations and started collecting the data for her research. As Meghan’s advisor, Dr. Farrell is encouraging her intern to submit her work to a special column for undergraduate research that will get her study recognised amongst her peers. However, Meghan isn’t the only one of the two conducting research this year; Dr. Farrell is also set to begin a study of her own this summer.

Through the Office of Student Research, Dr. Farrell received a grant from the Summer Research Fund to complete her study. Dr. Farrell will be conducting a series of studies at the Unbridled Communication Research Centre that will look at the changes and patterns in verbal and nonverbal communication amongst people before, during, and after completing interaction tasks with horses.

To stay up-to-date with the pairs research projects and everything happening in Longwood’s Communication Studies department click here to visit our website, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

Nov 05 2015
Internship Spotlight

Internship Spotlight: iHeart NatJo

Natjo as Smart Object-1-min (1)

Communication Studies Senior Natalie Joseph

A budding student within Longwood’s Communication Studies department, Natalie Joseph, affectionately known as NatJo, was given the internship of a lifetime when she was offered the chance to work at iHeart Radio in Los Angeles.

Living the LA lifestyle while completing an internship that covered everything from digital media posting and taking on-air phone calls, to working at the iHeart theatre for concerts starring artists like Chris Brown, Miguel, and Lady Antebellum. The iHeart Media group want people that can cover in any situation and that’s exactly the experience NatJo got.

“They want to see if you really have a passion for it.”

Being involved on campus in different organisations is something that NatJo highlights as a quality that employers are looking for. “Having a passion for what you do and enjoying it is something that people see within you.”

Being a part of Longwood University’s WMLU radio station with the NatJo Show and having such a large role in the organisation helped Nat in a big way and she believes her experience was a major reason that her application got through at iHeart Radio. “I would tell everyone that if you want to be a writer, join The Rotunda and if you want to be on air then join WMLU.”

“I thought it was going to be really competitive, Professor Halliday always tells us that.”

Beyond the nerves of moving to a new city for a summer, Natalie was ready to accept the challenge of working amongst some of the nation’s finest producers, DJ’s, and radio personalities. The chance to work amongst talent like that was a unique opportunity Nat was keen to dive in to.

Interning in Los Angeles offers limitless professional opportunities and that is something that became apparent to Nat when she got there and despite the competitive side of the industry, she noticed how relaxed the environment was.

“Apply to those long shots because people get them. Somebody has to get them.”

There are only a handful of times in life where you get the opportunity to follow your passion and explore new cities and your internship is one of them. NatJo heavily emphasises the value of being able to experience new surroundings and chase one of her dreams.

Getting that dream internship starts early with crafting a creative resume to stand out, having a passion for your work, and joining relevant clubs to help build your portfolio. Natalie tied all of these components together and landed her dream internship. She’s gained valuable experience and you can listen to her bring it all together on The NatJo show, Monday’s at 10pm.

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