Public Relations Internship

Hi there! Justine here, to talking about my recent experience interning with the Office.

Now that the semester is wrapping up, things have picked up at the Office of Sustainability. There has been more of a push to make progress on projects, especially as several of the interns are leaving and looking to get their positions filled by newcomers.

I’ve spent the spring 2015 semester as a public relations intern at the office. This position has involved attending a host of sustainability-related meetings as well as calling a few of my own, corresponding with different people and organizations involved in sustainability-related projects, and finding ways of communicating news of these projects to the student body, faculty, and more. The chief method of getting the news out has been through The Lamron, Geneseo’s student newspaper. I have served as a liaison between the office and The Lamron, for which I simultaneously worked as Arts & Entertainment Editor. News of the E-Garden, the Green Map, and many more office projects have been published in The Lamron this spring.

Other methods of raising awareness have included social media, press releases, emails, discussions with professors, and word of mouth. I have also helped maintain the office blog (this beauty right here!) by creating posts about our internship opportunities. This internship has given me a lot of insight into the often long and frustrating process of making change happen. Over the course of the semester, I’ve learned a lot about the different sustainability-oriented projects on campus. I also learned a lot about real-world concerns, including funding and grants as well as communication with an administration and campus facilities.

While being an advocate for the environment is not always easy, it is certainly rewarding—especially considering how many things have been accomplished since the office was created last semester! Looking ahead to the fall, my new role as News Editor of The Lamron will prevent me from returning to my intern position. Still, I am confident that news coverage of sustainability-related projects, issues and events will remain considerable.

Justine Talbot