CapeCodToday.com features Latham’s Communications Intern
June 19, 2018
Latham’s summer communications intern Jack Harrington was featured in today’s CapeCodToday.com “Summer Intern Chronicles”. For Latham Centers, college student internships have proven rewarding; we’ve been fortunate to mentor interns in several disciplines over the years, including residential, clinical, accounting, and development. The communications internship is new at Latham this year, and the aspiring journalist will earn college credit for his unpaid internship. Jack’s reflections (as quoted from the Cape Cod Today feature http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2018/06/19/240287-Summer-Intern-Chronicles-Jack-Harrington-UMass-Amherst) follow:
My name is Jack Harrington, and I am a Chatham resident and a senior at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. This summer, I am a Communications Intern at Latham Centers’ Orleans Administrative office. Latham Centers is a non-profit human services organization serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. I work closely with the Director of Communications, Dawn Dinnan, learning about the agency’s mission and how Latham communicates with external and internal community members.
As a Journalism major, I wanted to find an internship that related closely with what I was learning at UMass. My experience thus far has been very insightful. Some of the projects I have worked on have related closely with my assignments at school, and I have truly learned so much by working with Dawn. My interviewing skills have increased greatly and I have gained more hands-on experience with writing for varied audiences. I have worked on writing assignments including a press release, blog post, and employee newsletter article, adjusting the writing style and voice for each distinct audience. I’m practicing journalistic and photo-journalism skills, and no two days are the same in this communications internship. I have learned a lot about collaboration at Latham; every department participates in sharing Latham’s good news, happenings, and staff achievements on our website blog and social media.
While I have had other summer jobs on the Cape, this summer’s internship is much more meaningful to me. Not only will it look good on my resume and enhance my writing portfolio, but it has and will continue to give me the valuable experience a budding graduate needs to enter the workforce. It has also given me the opportunity to be a part of an organization that is committed to enhancing the lives of children and adults with special needs.
One piece of advice I would offer to other hopeful college students looking for a summer internship: start searching early and thoroughly. I started my internship search in March of 2018. I remember searching all the professional job posting sites such as Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, and even created a LinkedIn account. I also went to a Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP) networking event. The first initial interviews were intimidating; however, I was able to overcome my uneasiness and be offered this internship. It has been an immense pleasure learning and writing about Latham Centers, and I have met many welcoming, passionate staff members.
Photo captions: Above, Jack works on a writing project at Latham’s Orleans Administrative Office; below, Jack interviews Adult Manager Kayla Cox for a writing assignment about Latham’s new adult residences.
