Spreading their Wings in the World of Advertising
During her first semester at UMass Amherst, Gabriella Amaral ’27 decided to major in journalism. Throughout her childhood, she had a passion for writing and often spent her free time composing poetry. She participated in numerous writing-related extracurricular activities during high school, solidifying her conviction that journalism was her true calling.
But when she sat down to write during her first class, Amaral knew something was amiss. She didn’t have as much creative freedom in the field of journalism as she had believed. She truthfully didn't enjoy the classes, and she understood the major wasn't right for her. Then, during her second semester of freshman year, she chose to transfer to Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ.
Amaral, now a marketing communication/advertising major, is expressing her creativity through a new venture. She has always loved working with software, such as Canva and Photoshop, to produce advertisements for businesses. She likewise enjoys video editing, and was able to utilize these skills during her recent internship with , the official destination marketing organization for the City of Gloucester.
Just like Amaral, Anna Otis ’26 also loves creating media. Last summer, the marketing communication/advertising major interned with a small radio station in Needham. She worked to develop unique ads for local businesses, researching each one to see the various styles of the companies. This particular experience played a significant role in her developing a deep passion for the field of advertising. This then led her to her recent summer internship with , an independent public relations agency in Boston.
After completing their summer internships, we sat down with the students to delve deeper into their roles at their respective companies, their overall experiences, and the valuable lessons they learned about themselves.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Gabriella Amaral ’27, marketing communication/advertising major
Discover Gloucester—Gloucester, Mass.
How did you acquire your internship with Discover Gloucester?
I found this internship through Cherie Lynch, Assistant Professor of Experiential Learning. A previous student did an internship there a few years back, so she had the contact for the Executive Director there. Then, I reached out to her via email. She got back to me pretty fast, and we set up an interview.
This was your first internship at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ. Was it what you expected?
With it being my first internship, I honestly didn't have any expectations. I had no idea what I was going into, other than what I learned in classes at Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ. But going in on my first day, it was very eye-opening to see how small the office was, and what a marketing job entails. With it being a nonprofit, I noticed how little resources they get, and how you're spread thin by doing many projects and not getting a lot of funding for some of them.
What was your role and what did your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
Every day was different. I focused on their annual event series and did marketing for it. On the days of each event, I explored what they had going on and captured content for their social media. We partnered with the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and the cultural colonies they have, including Gloucester’s Rocky Neck and Harbortown Cultural Districts. I was expected to do marketing for a lot of the small Gloucester businesses.
For one of the Harbortown art galleries, I created a map and a gallery stroll brochure. We also worked with a lot of the local restaurants, like Minglewood Harborside and Mile Marker One. I loved seeing all the local businesses and being able to help them.
You are a Gloucester resident. How was it connecting with the local businesses in your city?
It was really interesting, because I hadn’t really gotten that perspective. Somedays, I felt like I was a tourist myself just walking around. There were so many businesses that recently opened up that I haven't gotten to see, or that I just never really knew about. I don't explore Gloucester on my own much (which you'd think I would), but it was nice to see different parts of the town. I got to work with business owners that I'd seen but hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to before and develop that connection.
What was the most challenging part of this internship?
I would just say the content for our social media page, honestly. In the beginning, there was a certain picture I wanted to put in one of our posts, but we didn't have the rights to it. I had to completely scrap that idea and come up with something else. It was hard because we had a limited amount of content as the nonprofit has only been there for a few years. They don't have a lot to work with. But, it was nice creating my own content.
What advice would you give to someone pursuing a similar internship in the future?
I would tell them not to be closed-minded and be open to the idea of working for a nonprofit, because I remember I wanted to work for a bigger business. I didn't really think about a nonprofit, and it was actually a really fun experience.
Anna Otis ’26, marketing communication/advertising major
Denterlein—Boston, Mass.
Tell me about your first day at Denterlein. What was that experience like? What did your overall responsibilities look like?
It was actually pouring rain! I took the train from Burlington, and then I walked, which was about 20 minutes. I used Google Maps to figure out how to get there. I was sopping wet coming in, but everyone greeted me, and they showed me around the office. They explained what I would be doing and where I'd be sitting. They also told me what they do for some of the companies they work with.
The staff would give me various items to do surrounding PR. I did media lists, client briefings, and attended staff meetings. I also went to the Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ client meetings. That was bi-weekly, and the staff meetings were weekly, so I was pretty busy.
Speaking of Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ, the College works with Denterlein frequently. How was it having that connection?
A small world, really. That actually made me like this internship more. I went in not knowing that Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ was one of their clients, so that was really fun. I really liked just seeing what Denterlein does for Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ, going deeper into the College and stuff like that. It was interesting.
What did you learn about yourself during this internship?
I've learned that I can do a lot of harder things than I thought. I thought this internship would be way too hard and difficult, but I actually was able to do it. I think because it's such a huge company and a huge PR firm, it was daunting. It was in a big building in a big city and had a lot more employees than my other internship. It was very different, but I was able to make a lot more connections there. At first, I wasn’t sure if this would be a good internship for me, but it definitely was. It was such a great experience.
What advice would you give to an incoming freshman?
Take advantage of the internship program, because it's very beneficial. First of all, it looks great on your resume, and it's a great experience. Don't be afraid to intern at a huge company, because it'll probably be very beneficial to you. Try not to do remote internships and do on site internships instead, because you'll get more experience and make more connections with the employees. I think you learn a lot from just going to internships and finding a good internship that you enjoy.
