Editor’s Note: If you have an intern you think deserves to be nominated for ITC’s Intern Pick of the Week, then email molly@inthecapital.com or DM her at @mollygreenberg.
Interns come and go, but if one stands out, then you make sure to hang on to them like your life depends on it. They are the diamonds in the rough, one of the most valuable members of your company. Though they may be looked at as temporary figures, their contribution to your business is one that cannot be replicated by any other college student, no matter how good their resume may appear. Here at ITC, we want to highlight the rarities, the interns you simply could not live without. Thus we bring you ITC’s Intern Pick of the Week, Kristina Martin.
Her name is well known among the D.C. tech crowd, respected enough that her title as intern is often forgotten. Kristina Martin has become a part of the Endeavor DC family, a D.C.-based startup accelerator aiming to help other freshly minted companies hit the ground running. A rising junior at George Washington University, Kristina has found her role as the social media and event planning intern to be highly beneficial, exclaiming how pivotal it has been to helping her figure out what she loves to do. Majoring in psychology and minoring in business, Kristina has one little secret that would surprise those that categorize her as such a stellar organizer: If she could be anyone, Kristina would be Martha Stewart. The social media maven and event planning extraordinaire arranges for time during the day to flip through the Food Network in search of the next great recipe to try out while contemplating how best to bring the D.C. community together. Clearly a motivated individual with the ability to juggle both her social and work life, ITC has determined Kristina Martin our newest Intern Pick of the Week.
When did you acquire your first internship?
My first internship was during the spring of my freshman year, when I worked creating a digital historical database at the Peace Corps headquarters.
What does your current internship entail?
My internship at Endeavor DC focuses on event planning and building the company's presence through social media. I've been planning happy hours and events that bring the DC tech community together. These events allow startups and entrepreneurs to get a chance to meet and build relationships that can help their businesses. The social media aspect of my internship includes updating our Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress accounts with articles relating to business, updates about what's going on at Endeavor, and interesting things happening around DC.
I also get the chance to work on small side projects with the startups Endeavor is working with. This has given me the chance to learn different aspects of how to run a business.
What's the coolest part of your internship?
Meeting all the quirky and diverse entrepreneurs at our events. Everyone has been so friendly and given me great advice and tips for moving forward in my career aspirations.
Why did you choose your current internship?
I didn't really know anything about the startup world beforehand, but the smaller, laid-back workplace at Endeavor DC seemed more appealing to me than a larger corporate company. I wanted a place where I would actually learn new skills and build relationships, and not just get lost among a group of summer interns. Also, since Endeavor is a newer startup company, I was excited that I had the chance to start fresh with the social media sites and plan the company's first events.
How did you find your internship?
GW has a great website, GWork, that employers post jobs and internships on. It's a great resource because you can trust the employers posting, and they are quick to respond to GW students' applications.
What could you not live without at your internship? (tech, coffee, music, etc.)
The M&M dispensers, peanut butter pretzel nuggets, and diet coke.
How do you think your internship will help you after graduation?
My internship has given me better insight as to what I could see myself doing after graduation. I'm still undecided on what career direction I'm headed in, but I have a better idea of what interests me, and more importantly, what I would be happy doing.
If you had to change one thing about how your university helped you with internships, what would it be?
I think GW does a great job helping students find internships, but they should advertise their GWork website more. A lot of students don't even know it exists and there are hundreds of jobs/internships in every field imaginable displayed on the site.
