Nicole Leighty: A Learning Experience in Exchange for a Summer

In a black FSU field hockey shirt paired with blue shorts, junior Nicole Leighty mentions she plays field hockey and is a goalie, commenting, “People don’t assume that about me.” In addition to being a goalie, Nicole is a Mass Communication major, a Public Relations minor, as well as a Marketing minor. She has two sisters: one a freshman attending Savannah College of Art and Design and the other a freshman in high school. As a college student the summer comes as a well-deserved relief from heavy workloads, but this summer Nicole didn’t get that luxury.

 

Nicole attending an event for her station

This summer Nicole reflects that she didn’t have a “legit summer” because of her internship she worked with Allegany Radio Corporation. There she interacted with the local radio stations as promotional intern. Nicole ran their social media accounts and helped with graphic designs and power points as well as attend events. Her internship was hands on, she helped promote the radio station and was active in their everyday functions. For example, Nicole worked an event called Working Women’s Wednesdays in Cumberland where she created promotions and sought out vendors to attend. Despite not being able to go to the beach as often as she might have during other summers she got incredible opportunities as an intern, she wrote ads and recorded them herself, and was the mascot for the country radio station.

 

Nicole as a mascot for the country radio station at the Allegany County Fair.

The company that she was an intern for owned six stations; the main station that she was under was 94.1 the Top 40 station. A negative of being an intern is being placed where your needed and not necessarily where you want to be, Nicole reflects, “Unfortunately I never got to do a morning show, which is kinda what I was hoping for.” Still she was able to do on the air contests for listeners, one of the last giveaways she did was for Father’s Day where one listener won a GoPro.

 

Nicole's media pass for a hockey event.

Internships are learning experiences. They help you explore into possible job fields before getting into a career.  Reflecting on her experience Nicole stated, “I thought that’s what I wanted to go into, but after doing it… It was a great internship and a great company to work for, but I couldn’t see myself doing that after I graduate.”