Journal #1

This summer, I will be interning with the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue department as a Public Relations Intern. I will primarily be working with Brian Clingenpeel and Jennifer Sexton. Brian is the Community Outreach Coordinator, and he helps teach fire safety to various groups and companies across the Roanoke Valley while also being a liaison between the Department and the media at any fires that may occur. Jennifer deals with communication between the Department and the public by posting on social media and publicizing the Department’s upcoming events. During my time here, I will be assisting Brian and Jennifer with various projects they will be completing such as going to fire safety events with Brian or assisting Jennifer with making marketing materials. At the end of July, I will help run an event called the Character Academy which teaches preteens about fire safety. I will also be going to meetings with the Department staff and the Board of Supervisors as well as PRSA luncheons. Ultimately, the goal for me this summer is to be able to tag along with Brian on a fire and see how he interacts with news stations in regard to what information about the fire he informs them about.

During my time with the Comm department at Longwood, I have gained quite a few skills that will help me in throughout the summer. My interpersonal and organizational communication skills will help me communicate well with Jennifer and Brian as well as the media or other citizens in the Roanoke Valley. I have also gained better time management skills that will help me stay on task and prioritize smaller and larger projects. My creativity will be put to use when designing flyers or brochures discussing fire safety, and my writing skills can be applied when writing press releases about fires with Jennifer and Brian.

I think that I am lacking concise writing skills and independence, and I hope to work on those this summer. When writing, I tend to write too much and struggle with staying within a word limit, so I would like to improve that. I would also like to become more independent when working on projects. I am often unsure of myself when given a new task and seek too much guidance from my superiors. I would like to become more confident in my abilities and gain independence throughout this internship.