Shermarie Hyppolite, Communication and Journalism PR Track ’23 talks about her internship at kglobal, a full-service PR agency, while participating in SBS in DC last summer.
As a Communication and Public Relations major, I am forever thankful for my time at kglobal, a full-service public relations agency based in D.C. Interning at a public relations agency is essential for every public relations student who hopes for applicable experience in the career. With this internship I got to do hands-on work, like media monitoring, building media lists, helping set up for podcast recordings, filming video content, and recording audio content. I am forever grateful to the professionals at kglobal for being teachers to me, but also trusting me with important work. In my days at the office, I saw my future. Making creative content for clients, building impactful and strategic plans with my co-workers, and monitoring the news for important information.
One of the best experiences I had at my internship was when I got to hang out with Hill Harper and record content for the podcast he would be hosting for Norton. I got to leave the office for the day and follow a Hollywood star and entrepreneur around the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where I got to attend a Black tech conference and hear from professionals who looked like me. It was so inspiring to be in that space and to record content as Hill Harper spoke to Black college students, encouraging them to invest in their future and their community. That day fully cemented my dream of also doing content creation. My supervisor for the day taught me about the different cameras that work best, mics I could purchase for my podcast, and the platforms that would be helpful for the development of my podcast show and other future endeavors. I walked around halls of Black innovation, while listening to a Black CEO talk to me about valuing myself in the workplace. It felt like a very important moment in my life that was only possible in D.C.
After graduation, I hope to start out as an account executive for a public relations agency and eventually work in-house, so being able to intern at an agency over the summer has made me feel prepared and ready to start my career. As an aspiring public relations professional, I am aware of how we can’t predict everything, but not knowing what could happen was a part of the excitement. In those moments, I would think back to the crisis communication simulation the UMass PR Club planned, and think of ways I would help our team. My internship helped me build the necessary voice I would need once I join the workforce. I learned so much vital information during my time in D.C., not only about being a PR professional, but about myself. I grew alongside strangers that turned into lifelong friends. I jokingly would call my housemates “sister” or “brother”, but in truth, they truly were and are, the family that helped make D.C., a monumental moment in my life.
