The Kirsten Haglund Foundation
Mollie
Experience Information
Employer: The Kirsten Haglund Foundation
Job Title: Social Media and Events Intern
Major: Multimedia Journalism
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: No
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
About the Foundation The Kirsten Haglund Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to individuals in need of treatment for their eating disorders. The Mission of the Kirsten Haglund Foundation (KHF) is to provide hope, networking and financial aid to those seeking treatment and freedom from eating disorders. The founder, Kirsten Haglund, was Miss America 2009. The initiative to create the Kirsten Haglund Foundation came from Kirsten's own battle with an eating disorder, and her desire to expand awareness of this disease. While traveling the country as Miss America, she heard firsthand, story after story, of young men and women who, with professional help, were able to recover from their eating disorder and embrace total wellness and health. This Foundation has helped many individuals get the necessary health they needed in order to live a healthy and happy.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Job Description As an intern for the Kirsten Haglund Foundation I had multiple responsibilities. My title was the social media and events intern. I was responsible for creating press releases and sending the press releases out to multiple news sources. I would then follow up with these news organizations in an effort to get Kirsten Haglund, founder of the organization, in the media to promote various events that we would be putting on. I was also responsible for creating event advertisements through constant contacts. As an intern I would go to every event and help put the event on by helping set up at the event and by helping with multiple activities during the event. Promoting the Kirsten Haglund Foundation through social media was another very important job that I had. I was responsible for promoting various events and articles through multiple social media sources. As an intern for this foundation I had many job responsibilities that took a fair amount of my time to meet.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Education Applied The Kirsten Haglund Foundation social media and events internship was very rewarding and educational. The skills I had gained from my communication and journalism courses prior to this internship were very beneficial. One of my job responsibilities was to write press releases and send them to various media sources. I was able to write a successful press release because of the skills I had learned in my journalism class. Another one of my job responsibilities was to call and speak with various news directors and station managers at stations along with a number of reporters. I was able to successfully communicate with these individuals due to the public speaking and communication skills I had gained from my communication courses. As the event coordinator it was my responsibility to help coordinate and put together events. I was able to successfully organize and create these events due to the organizational skills I had gained from various classes. If I had not been organized, I would not have been able to successfully put on the event. Social media was another important part of the internship. I was responsible for updating all social media pages. In numerous communication courses we learned how to successfully promote ourselves and events on social media. With this information, I was able to successfully promote the Kirsten Haglund Foundation. I was able to obtain this internship through skills I learned in the classroom. By learning proper interview skills in my communication and broadcasting courses, I was able to interview successfully and become a member of the Kirsten Haglund Foundation team. Many of the skills I learned in the classroom had helped me excel as an intern for the Kirsten Haglund Foundation.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Why One Should Consider Working for the Kirsten Haglund Foundation The Kirsten Haglund Foundation gives their interns lots of hands on experience. An intern will learn valuable public relations, event coordinating, social media and communications skills. This internship also provides individuals who are going into broadcasting or public relations with many great connections for careers after they graduate. All of the press releases that are created and published or made into stories by news organizations look great on one's resume. The Kirsten Haglund Foundation members are wonderful people who make you feel like you are part of the family. Even though the internship isn't paid, I wouldn't change anything about this internship. I had the opportunity to learn many hands-on skills that I wouldn't have been able to learn in a classroom. These are skills that will help me gain a broadcasting or public relations job in the near future. I am confident that with these skills I gained through this internship, I will be able to excel in the work field. Individuals who intern for the Kirsten Haglund Foundation will love their experience and will have a difficult time leaving once the internship is done. I highly recommend this internship to individuals who want to learn these hands-on skills. The Kirsten Haglund Foundation not only provides one with the necessary skills needed to succeed in the work place, it also gives one the community service work that will look great on a resume. This organization is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping others. It is good for one's moral being to be involved in such organizations. Future employers will appreciate individuals who are active in community service. I am still involved with volunteering for the Kirsten Haglund Foundation. I really enjoyed working for this organization and hope that others will consider interning for this wonderful organization as well.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
The Kirsten Haglund Foundation has inspired me to work in the public relations field. I will always be involved in nonprofit organizations after working for this organization. By working for such an important cause I learned that I have a lot to give back to others.